BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Billing

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps the Government are taking to help small and medium-sized enterprises whose customers do not pay in accordance with agreed contractual terms.

Rosie Winterton: The UK was one of the world's first countries to introduce late payment legislation in November 1998. It provides all businesses with the right to claim interest for the late payment of commercial debt, and where there are no pre-agreed payment terms, the legislation provides that the payment period is 30 days from the later of either delivery of goods or receipt of invoice.
	Over half of UK business transactions are not covered by pre agreed payment terms so we are also equipping business to better manage customer relationships and cash flow management through a series of guides developed in partnership with the Institute of Credit Management, the CBI, IoD, FSB, FPB and BCC.
	Further advice on this legislation and claiming interest for late payments can be found at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file37581.pdf.

Billing

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps the Government have taken to encourage  (a) private sector companies and  (b) public sector organisations to sign up to the prompt payment code.

Rosie Winterton: My noble Friend the Secretary of State and for Business, Innovation and Skills has written to over 1,500 UK businesses and the Minister for Economic Competitiveness, Small Business has hosted prompt payment events with businesses, supported by the Confederation of British Industry, Institute of Directors, Federation of Small Businesses, Forum of Private Business and the British Chamber of Commerce.
	All central Government departments have signed the prompt payment code and my officials are working with the regions to promote the code to the wider public sector and to businesses.
	Regional Ministers are taking a strong lead in driving prompt payment. For example, the Minister for the West Midlands acted in March 2009 to encourage public sector organisations in the region to sign up to a 10 day payment pledge; 44 have done so thus far and further action is now being taken to encourage more to do so.

Building Colleges for the Future Programme

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with representatives of further education colleges on the Building Colleges for the Future programme.

Kevin Brennan: With regards to the Building Colleges for the Future programme, I have met and discussed the current issues with the sector body-the Association of Colleges and the 157 Group. In terms of the programme's implementation, this is the responsibility of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The LSC, in its work to resolve the current funding pressures with the programme, has consulted widely. This consultation has been in-line with the recommendations of Sir Andrew Foster, and has included the Association of College's capital reference panel. I have subsequently been kept informed of progress.
	My predecessor and I have held meetings to discuss the positions of individual colleges. Importantly, such meetings must be without prejudice to the statutory responsibility of the LSC for determining capital approvals.

Business: Government Assistance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1341W, on business: Government assistance, what assessment he has made of the likely effects on levels of borrowing by small businesses in the next 12 months of the operation of the Working Capital scheme.

Rosie Winterton: We have taken steps to help improve cash flow, to increase the availability of the credit businesses need, and to encourage investment so that businesses come through the recession ready to grow.
	In particular, we obtained bank lending commitments from RBS and Lloyds to lend £27 billion additional lending to businesses this year. This includes lending guaranteed under the Working Capital scheme.
	In addition, we introduced a Trade Credit Insurance top-up scheme which provides protections for firms suffering a reduction in cover.
	We have also taken steps to assist small businesses to overcome short-term cash-flow problems-for example the Enterprise Finance Guarantee and also measures to ensure prompt payment by both public and private sectors.

Business: Government Assistance

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department is providing to small and medium-sized businesses in Milton Keynes.

Rosie Winterton: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills support to small and medium-sized businesses in Milton Keynes is provided through South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).
	SEEDA provides a full range of support mechanisms to small and medium-sized businesses operating in Milton Keynes. The support falls into two broad categories:
	1. Strategic Business Development and Engagement-comprising the Sub Regional Partnership and Employment and Skills Board (MKELP) and Milton Keynes Science and Innovation, for example.
	2. Business support-primarily through Business Link, Manufacturing Advisory Service, Continuous Employment Support Service, and Financial Assistance.
	More detailed information can be found in the attached SEEDA-produced background information.
	 1. SEEDA Specific Milton Keynes Strategic Business Development and Engagement
	 Sub Regional Partnership and Employment and Skills Board (MKELP)
	SEEDA funds the Milton Keynes Economic and Learning Partnership (MKELP) with the purpose of bringing together business and the public sector in Milton Keynes to agree and align priorities and investment at local and sub regional level. MKELP is also financially supported by Milton Keynes Council and the Homes and Communities Agency.
	MKELP specifically:
	Works to align regional and local economic strategy to benefit businesses and local stakeholders in Milton Keynes.
	Understands employer issues in Milton Keynes and makes regional partners aware of these issues and challenges.
	Identifies key growth/economically important sectors and works closely with Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) to help them raise employer demand and investment in skills and encourage employers to engage with and drive the work of their SSC.
	Development of the Partnership's approach to the knowledge economy and the Science and Innovation agenda, encompassing, for example, the Innovation Growth Team, Electric Vehicle infrastructure for the city and inward investment, as well as supporting the bid for Milton Keynes to be a host city in the 2018 Football World Cup and developing a strong higher education offer for local businesses.
	 Milton Keynes Science and Innovation (MKSI)
	Local partners in Milton Keynes are developing a vision to "create the most exciting habitat in the UK for knowledge intensive business" in Milton Keynes. SEEDA is a key stakeholder in this steering group, drawing on its 'know how' and expertise in developing and implementing science and innovation activity elsewhere in the region. SEEDA is also funding a full time project manager to drive the initiative forward.
	 Milton Keynes South Midlands (mksm) Growth Area
	SEEDA (with East of England Development Agency and East Midland Development Agency) has been working with Local Authorities and stakeholders to support the mksm growth area. An Economic Development Plan is being produced focussing on supporting key growth business sectors across mksm with an underpinning skills strategy. The aim is to ensure the jobs target for mksm and Milton Keynes is achieved and includes high quality jobs in the knowledge economy and growth sectors.
	Progress has been presented to the mksm local authority Leaders group and mksm is aiming to have a final Economic Development Plan by October 2009. This plan will feed into a developing Multi Area Agreement which will include Transport objectives and actions.
	 2. Direct Support to Businesses in Milton Keynes which is also available to all businesses in South East
	 Business Link and Enterprise Gateway
	
		
			  MK Businesses support interventions( 1) 
			   Number 
			 2006-09 12,857 
			 2006-07 4,118 
			 2007-08 4,442 
			 2008-09 4,297 
			 (1 )Companies are able to receive the Business Link service as often as they need and are counted once per annum 
		
	
	
		
			  MK  intensive assists( 1) 
			   Number 
			 2006-09 1,550 
			 2006-07 409 
			 2007-08 530 
			 2008-09 611 
			 (1) Action plan agreed 
		
	
	MK Business healthchecks since October 2008: 384
	MK, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire businesses helped in 2008/09 through Enterprise Gateway scheme: 163
	Business Link provides business support and advice for all individuals and businesses already trading or thinking of starting. Benefits include:
	Free Business Health Checks, including maximising cash flow, marketing and business planning, debt management, new market and product development.
	Access to finance advice, credit crunch presentations and finance clinics.
	Guidance and events on how to survive and thrive in difficult times, including advice on reducing energy consumption and costs.
	Access to the SEEDA funded Resource Efficiency programme.
	Access to advice and signposting to skills and training opportunities through the 'Train to Gain' service.
	Analysis and information on new business opportunities and markets.
	In addition the Enterprise Gateway service (delivered through Business Link) offers impartial, professional advice to individuals from under-represented communities facing barriers to enterprise. Business Link also delivers sustainable business advice.
	 Investor Development Manager (IDM)
	 The SEEDA IDM is currently working with seven companies who are making redundancies, five companies linking to train to gain and a further 10 companies on a variety of other support needs.
	SEEDA funds an Investor Development Manager (IDM), Guy Hawking, who works with strategically important companies in Milton Keynes.
	 Innovation and Growth Teams
	 Operational from summer 2009
	On 1 June 2009 a new support service started in Milton Keynes aimed at providing tailored, specialist and technical business expertise to high growth businesses. This sendee will be delivered by an Innovation and Growth Team directed by a consortium of local partners and managed by the Open University. The aim of this service is to create communities of innovation and growth ultimately generating substantial local and regional economic benefits that improve the global competitiveness of the South East.
	 Continuous Employment Support Service
	 In the last nine months 12 companies were supported in Milton Keynes, 761 people were helped.
	Companies thinking about making staff redundant or undertaking a redundancy programme can access the free 'Continuing Employment Support Service' run by Jobcentre Plus in partnership with SEEDA. CESS offers a free in-house package of support to all affected workers before they leave their employment, offering tailored advice on future options.
	 Inward Investment
	 In 2008 / 09 SEEDA referred 34 inquiries to Invest MK.
	SEEDA has an inward investment team who aim to attract business from other countries to locate in the South East.
	 Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS)
	 Between 2006 / 09 40 companies were assisted through MAS
	MAS South East aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of manufacturers in the region to create sustainable improvements. Businesses can access hands-on advice and tailored support from experts to suit the individual requirements of their business to produce real results.
	 Grants for Business Investment (GBI)
	 There has been one grant offered
	The GBI scheme has recently been extended to be available to all South East eligible SMEs with long-term viability whose investment plans are being held up by current economic conditions. The scheme aims to assist businesses to increase productivity by funding capital investment in equipment and technology. It is for businesses looking to expand, modernise, rationalise, diversify and increase productivity in order to maintain or establish sustainable growth and provide skilled jobs.
	 Grant for Research and Development
	 There have been and grants for R&D in MK between 2006-09 (totalling £951,000)
	The SEEDA managed grants for R&D are focused on encouraging businesses to carry out projects that they would not necessarily undertake without the grant and lever in to these projects finance from reluctant private investment sources.
	 Finance South East (FSE) Accelerator Fund
	 One company in Milton Keynes has been offered the accelerator fund
	The accelerator fund is a loan fund which supports small and medium sized companies in the South East with the potential for significant growth (early stage or established companies). It is a response to the needs of entrepreneurial businesses who require the level of growth investment provided by risk capital, but which are reluctant to relinquish an equity stake in the company at an early stage.
	 Commercialisation Fund
	 One company has been offered the commercialisation fund (worth £29,000)
	This new fund of up to £3 million supports businesses with high growth potential to bring new products and services to market.
	 Transition Loan Fund
	 The fund has not yet been allocated to any MK businesses
	SEEDA is providing up to £3 million in a new Regional Transition Fund known as the Bridging Mezzanine Debt Fund to be directed at fully established, viable and growing businesses that are currently facing difficulties in obtaining credit through banks and other traditional routes.
	Funding is provided at commercial rates for these unsecured loans, and interest is rolled up and paid at maturity, thereby making the Fund attractive to some businesses urgently needing to address liquidity problems.
	 Milton Keynes Area Programme
	 There were 87 businesses supported between 2006-09
	The overall emphasis of interventions within Milton Keynes was capacity building, particularly in line with skills, learning and employability with a focus on NEET young people (not in employment, education or training). The largest project was 'Routes to Success' which was based on the development of transparent progression routes for residents, including outreach links, IAG in local communities, then leading to open days, short skills sessions and courses, finally moving to specialist training.
	 Rural
	 There were two Farm Diversification Grants between 2006-09
	 There were three businesses supported within the European Rural Development programme (ERDP) between 2006-08
	 £2.4 million has been allocated to the Leader area, however, projects are not yet operational
	SEEDA funds rural programmes in Milton Keynes including Farm Diversification and Rural Redundant Building schemes. In addition SEEDA manages £60 million Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) EU Programme (previously termed ERDP).
	The rural Leader programme for Milton Keynes is within the North Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes area. This wholly EU funded programme is aimed at farmers and forestry diversification with a strong element of community projects.
	 "Immerse" Initiative
	 Businesses not yet supported as a new programme
	SEEDA is introducing and funding a new programme, Immerse, which provides intensive, extended design support to selected larger businesses. Immerse is part of the 'Designing Demand' programmes.
	 UKTI International Trade Sector Specialists
	These are senior executives seconded to UK Trade and Investment from industry spearheading the Government's export drive, helping small and medium-sized enterprises and larger companies to win business around the world. They are available for free consultations and can offer practical exporting advice, information on specific opportunities in markets and sectors.

Business: Government Assistance

Pete Wishart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in Perth and North Perthshire constituency  (a) have sought access to funds under and  (b) are receiving assistance from the Working Capital Scheme.

Rosie Winterton: None. The working capital scheme provides guarantees to banks on portfolios of short-term loans: businesses cannot apply for guarantees under this scheme.

Business: Government Assistance

Pete Wishart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in Perth and North Perthshire constituency  (a) have sought access to funds under and  (b) are receiving assistance from the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme.

Rosie Winterton: The Enterprise Finance Guarantee was launched on 14 January. Set out in the following table is the information for the constituency of Perth and North Perthshire as of 19 August.
	
		
			  Perth and North Perthshire 
			 Number of loans offered 5 
			 Number of loans drawn 4 
			 Value of loans offered (£ million) 0.85 
			 Value of loans drawn (£ million) 0.42

Business: Government Assistance

Michael Penning: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire (i) have sought access to funding under and (ii) are receiving assistance from the Working Capital Scheme.

Rosie Winterton: None. The Working Capital Scheme provides guarantees to banks on portfolios of short-term loans: businesses cannot apply for guarantees under this scheme.

Business: Government Assistance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps the Government have taken to assist small businesses to pay their business rates.

Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
	On 31 July 2009 the Non-Domestic Rating (Deferred Payments) (England) Regulations 2009 came into force to enable businesses to defer until 2010-11 and 2011-12 payment of 3 per cent. their total 2009-10 business rate bills and, additionally, 60 per cent. of the increase in bills caused by the ending of the transitional relief scheme for the 2005 revaluation period.
	Billing authorities sent all ratepayers a flyer about these regulations. This also contained information about the Small Business Rate Relief scheme which allows eligible businesses to claim up to 50 per cent. relief on their rates bills.

Corporate Hospitality

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many times the Secretary of State has received hospitality from representatives of the  (a) automotive,  (b) aerospace,  (c) financial services,  (d) fast moving consumer goods,  (e) digital media,  (f) mail service,  (g) cleantech and  (h) the music industries since his appointment to post; on what dates such hospitality was received; and who attended each such event.

Patrick McFadden: My noble Friend the Secretary of State notifies his permanent secretary of any hospitality he receives and as necessary declares it in the Register of Peers' Interests, in accordance with the provisions of the ministerial code.

Departmental Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies paid in end-of-year performance bonuses to (i) all staff and (ii) senior Civil Service staff in 2008-09; and how many such payments were made.

Patrick McFadden: Performance-related pay is designed to help drive high performance and support better public service delivery. Performance awards reward high performance sustained throughout the year, and are non-pensionable and non-consolidated.
	Based on the information available, the number of staff receiving these awards is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Performance awards SCS( 1)  Performance awards: below SCS( 1) 
			  Financial year( 2)  Number of staff receiving  Total value (£)  Number of staff receiving  Total value (£) 
			 2008-09 141 1,210,000 2,930 (3)1,114,592 
			 (1) The annual performance awards are paid on a non-consolidated, non-pensionable basis and do not increase the Department's pay-bill costs each year. For the SCS, the Senior Salaries Review Body determines the level of expenditure to cover bonuses. (2) Financial year running from 1 April to 31 March. (3) Includes staff who were transferred from BERR to DECC as part of the October 2008 machinery of government changes as these staff received a BERR pay award in 2008. 
		
	
	Performance awards make up 1.8 per cent. of the Department's pay bill of £127,434,847
	I have approached the chief executives of the Department's Executive agencies and they will respond to you directly.

Employment Agencies: EU Law

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans the Government has to implement the provisions of the EU Agency Workers Directive in the UK; and what timetable has been set for implementation of those provisions.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 9 September 2009
	The recent Consultation, which closed on 31 July, invited views on proposals for implementing the Agency Workers Directive in a way which meets the Government's twin objective of ensuring appropriate protection for agency workers while maintaining a flexible labour market. The Consultation also invited views on when the implementing legislation should come into effect, and why. Following the Consultation, we will publish the Government's response setting out how we intend to proceed, and invite views as appropriate, as well as consult on the draft regulations.

Employment Agencies: EU Law

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with trade union representatives on the EU Agency Workers Directive since October 2008; which trade unions were represented in each such discussion; and on what date each such discussion took place.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 9 September 2009
	I have had no meetings with trade unions on the specific topic of the EU Agency Workers Directive since October 2008, however, officials have spoken to both the TUC and business organisations in the development of our consultation document on this issue.

Employment Agencies: EU Law

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when the Government plans to announce its decisions following its consultation on the EU Agency Workers Directive.

Patrick McFadden: Following the consultation which closed on 31 July, we are evaluating all the responses before any key decisions are taken. We will shortly publish the Government's response to the consultation and seek views on draft implementing legislation.

Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications have been made to the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme; and how many of these have met the eligibility criteria.

Kevin Brennan: As of 12 August, of the over 6,600 cases which have been logged on the Enterprise Finance Guarantee web portal, more than 6,000 firms have been granted, being processed, or assessed, over £680 million. So far, over 4,500 businesses have been offered loans totalling over £450 million.
	Businesses may apply for a loan from one of the participating lenders who will assess which form of lending, including the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG), is most appropriate. EFG is open to small and medium enterprises with a turnover of less than £25 million and is designed to operate at the margins of banks' normal lending activity to SMEs, allowing lenders to provide additional loans to viable companies that are at the margins of commercial lending, because they have insufficient security or their proposal involves a higher risk of loss at default.
	We do not hold figures for those businesses which are instead offered a normal commercial loan, or are rejected for failing to meet the lender's commercial criteria.

Meetings

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many discussions the Secretary of State has had with representatives of the  (a) automotive,  (b) aerospace,  (c) engineering,  (d) fast moving consumer goods,  (e) cleantech,  (f) mail service and  (g) music industries since his appointment to post; on what dates such discussions took place; and who the industry representatives were on each such occasion.

Patrick McFadden: My noble Friend the Secretary of State has frequent discussions with representatives of all kinds of business sectors.

Meetings

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the Secretary of State's engagements are for the period 14 to 20 September 2009.

Patrick McFadden: My noble Friend the Secretary of State has various internal and external engagements in this period.

Overseas Trade: Libya

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate UK Trade and Investment has made of the number of occasions on which representatives or agents of UK business have had discussions with  (a) the government of Libya and  (b) Libyan businesses and their representatives in the last two years.

Ian Lucas: holding answer 9 September 2009
	The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) UKTI estimates such contacts with the Government of Libya would be in the region of 500 to 1,000.
	 (b) UKTI's estimate is that such contacts in the last two years would be in the thousands. The British Business Group in Libya now numbers some 100 members, about half of which are resident in Libya. There have been a series of trade missions by UK business associations over the past two years.

Overseas Trade: Libya

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions employees or representatives of UK Trade and Investment have had discussions with representatives or agents of  (a) the Libyan Government and  (b) Libyan businesses in the last two years.

Ian Lucas: holding answer 9 September 2009
	The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) There were UKTI organised visits to Libya by the Duke of York as Special Representative for International Trade and Investment in November 2007, the then Lord Mayor of the City of London in March 2008 and the then Minister of State for Trade and Investment in May 2008, all involved various contacts with the Libyan Government. Mr Shokri Ghanem, Chairman of the Libyan NOC was hosted by UKTI during his visit to the UK in November 2008. UKTI arranged an event in London on 20 July 2009 where Dr Bashir Saleh Bashir, Chairman of the Libyan Africa Investment Portfolio and delegation addressed and met a range of British companies.
	There have been regular UKTI visits to Libya, as well as meetings with representatives of the Libyan Government visiting the UK. There have been very regular contacts with the Libyan Government by the UKTI team in Tripoli. It is not possible to place a figure on the number of times there have been such contacts without a very detailed analysis, the costs of which would exceed the limit for answering parliamentary questions.
	 (b) The UKTI team in Tripoli have several contacts daily with Libyan businesses in the course of their work to support British companies seeking business in Libya. Contacts by other members of UKTI would number around 50 to 100.

Overseas Trade: Libya

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what contribution UK Trade and Investment has made to each ministerial visit to Libya in the last two years.

Ian Lucas: holding answer 9 September 2009
	The then Minister of State for Trade and Investment visited Libya in May 2008. UKTI arranged his programme, briefing and the follow up. For other ministerial visits the UKTI team in Tripoli assisted with arrangements for relevant parts of the programme and UKTI HQ in London provided standard written background briefing on trade and investment.

Polly Toynbee

Eric Pickles: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments his Department and its predecessors have made to Ms Polly Toynbee in the last five years; and for what purposes.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 14 September 2009
	A payment was made to Polly Toynbee in July 2007 in the sum of £587.50 for chairing the women's Entrepreneur Ambassadors Event at Lancaster House in London.
	There are no other recorded payments to her in the last five years.

Polly Toynbee

Eric Pickles: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments regional development agencies have made to Ms Polly Toynbee in the last five years; and for what purposes.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 14 September 2009
	Ms Toynbee chaired the EEDA annual meeting in September 2006. The meeting is an open annual public meeting to report on the activities of the agency. The focus of the event was growth through successful partnerships. A payment of £2,500 was made to an agency.
	She was a speaker at the 2007 Prowess Conference at Brighton Racecourse 7-8 February 2007, which was part sponsored by SEEDA. No direct payment was made to her by SEEDA.

Public Sector: Procurement

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress his Department has made in implementing the recommendations of the Glover Report on Accelerating the SME economic engine in its procurement processes.

Rosie Winterton: The Department is working closely with the Office of Government Commerce, who are leading on implementation of the Glover recommendations, to ensure that all 12 are delivered on time and in a way that is effective for SMEs. We expect to deliver the majority of the measures later this year. The recommendation of a free, single, easy-to-search portal is on course to be delivered by 2010.

Regeneration: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much each regional development agency spent on land reclamation projects in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The following table shows RDAs expenditure on land reclamation projects in each year since 2000. Figures are not yet available for 2008-09.
	The figures provided include funds allocated to the 'Land Reclamation Programmes' inherited by RDAs from English Partnerships and, following their conclusion, any new environmental improvement programmes which have succeeded them.
	
		
			  £ million 
			  RDA  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 AWM 40 50 44 102 80 56 59 46 
			 EEDA 1  13 21 24 37 25 11 
			 EMDA 5 13 13 3 7 2 4 5 
			 LDA 103 149 140 108 129 122 131 144 
			 NWDA 20 23 20 18 15 6 17 39 
			 ONE 22 20 14 3 2 5 2 0.6 
			 SEEDA 6 1 21 11 40 17 11 5 
			 SWRDA (1)- (1)- 32 21 17 27 22 32 
			 YF 12 5 6 4 1 0.5 0.7 0.2 
			 (1) Due to a change in management recording system during 2002-03, producing figures before 2002-03 would incur disproportionate cost.

Regeneration: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many land reclamation projects regional development agencies  (a) started and  (b) completed in each year since 2000.

Rosie Winterton: The following tables shows land reclamation projects started and completed by RDAs in each year since 2000 to 2008. Figures are not yet available for 2008-2009.
	The figures provided include funds allocated to the 'Land Reclamation programmes' inherited by RDAs from English Partnerships and, following their conclusion, any new environmental improvement programmes which have succeeded them.
	
		
			  Projects started 
			  RDA  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 AWM 6 9 37 8 5 4 8 4 
			 EEDA 5 2 16 15 4 8 13 2 
			 EMDA 30 71 28 9 4 5 15 42 
			 LDA 50 8 4 4 10 1 2 0 
			 NWDA 56 49 52 43 20 12 28 33 
			 ONE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 SEEDA 5 9 13 12 13 0 0 0 
			 SWRDA A A 1 0 4 2 4 7 
			 YF B 28 13 6 4 0 1 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Projects completed 
			  RDA  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 AWM 0 0 3 11 12 18 9 16 
			 EEDA 2 4 9 9 6 6 7 12 
			 EMDA 22 61 71 60 48 52 38 32 
			 LDA 10 12 13 10 8 12 9 5 
			 NWDA 9 15 27 36 36 30 28 36 
			 ONE 23 27 21 21 0 2 0 6 
			 SEEDA 3 2 6 10 0 3 4 6 
			 SWRDA A A 2 0 5 3 1 1 
			 YF B 25 21 21 13 1 2 0 
			  Notes: 1. A new programme management recording system was introduced. To separate out this data would incur disproportionate cost. 2. To separate out this data would incur disproportionate cost.

Support for Business: Finance

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the proposed budget is for each programme within the Support for Business portfolio in each year up to 2011.

Rosie Winterton: Solutions for Business is the Government's portfolio of support to business. 2009/10 is the transitional year during which all Government funded business support schemes must migrate to the Solutions for Business portfolio or be under notice of closure by 31 March 2010.
	The amount of money spent on Solutions for Business products varies according to local and regional need for particular forms of business support and the wider economic context. The total spend on business support within the Solutions for Business portfolio in 2008/09 is estimated to be £2.3 billion.

Train to Gain Programme

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been spent on the Train to Gain advertising campaign in 2009-10.

Kevin Brennan: Figures for Train to Gain advertising spend are shown in the following table. These comprise national and regional spend, and include VAT. Figures for the current financial year are not yet available.
	
		
			   Media spend £ million 
			 2006-07 2.24 
			 2007-08 5.02 
			 2008-09 5.01

CABINET OFFICE

Central Office of Information: Expenditure

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Central Office of Information spent on  (a) office parties and  (b) staff bonuses in the last 12 months.

Angela Smith: I have asked the chief executive of the Central Office of Information to reply to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Mark Lund, dated 14 September 2009:
	As Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information (COI), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on how much the COI has spent on (a) office parties and (b) staff bonuses in the last 12 months (291385).
	(a) The Central Office of Information (COI) does not hold office parties funded by the organisation, other than those listed below.
	An event in the summer is held to coincide with the publication of the Annual Report and Accounts to review the year's activity and to acknowledge any outstanding contributions from staff during the year.
	An all staff event is also held at Christmas. This event is seen as an efficient way for the organisation to acknowledge the festive season.
	The cost of these events is in line with guidance issued by the HMRC. This guidance states that no more than £150 per person, per year should be spent on such events. In the last 12 months COI spent £42.82 per person.
	(b) The COI do not pay a corporate bonus to its employees.
	COI paid eligible staff a non-consolidated performance pay award for the 2008/9. This amounted to 5.36% of the regular monthly salary.
	This recognised that COI achieved its Ministerial targets for 2008/9 and COI also secured record savings for our government and public sector clients.
	Its payment, together with the achievement against the targets, is audited by the National Audit Office.

Charities Act 2006

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the Charity Commission plans to undertake a review of the implementation of the provisions of the Charities Act 2006.

Angela Smith: Section 73 of the Charities Act 2006 requires the Minister for the Cabinet Office to appoint a person to review the operation of the Act within five years of Royal Assent, and for a report of the review to be laid before Parliament. The review will take place in 2011.

Charities: Fraud

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment the Charity Commission has made of the effectiveness of the distribution of the Give With Care leaflet in reducing donations to bogus charities.

Angela Smith: The "Give with Care" campaign was an initiative of the Office of the Third Sector which the Charity Commission supported, along with other key stakeholders. 500,000 leaflets were printed for distribution to households. Neither the Office of the Third Sector nor the Charity Commission plans to formally assess the effectiveness of the distribution of the leaflet.

Death: Hypothermia

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate her Department has made of the number of people over 65 years who have died of hypothermia in their homes in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated September 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what estimate has been made of the number of people over 65 years who have died of hypothermia in their homes in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. (291372)
	Although hypothermia may be mentioned on a death certificate as contributing to the death, according to International Classification of Diseases rules it cannot be recorded as the underlying cause. An event that led to the death such as 'Exposure to excessive cold', or 'Accidental fall' may be recorded as the underlying cause, with hypothermia recorded as a contributory factor. If hypothermia were considered to be the main contributory factor, it would be reported as the 'secondary cause'.
	The table attached provides the number of deaths where (a) hypothermia was the secondary cause of death, and (b) hypothermia was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, for persons aged over 65 years dying at home, in England and Wales, from 1999 to 2008 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths of persons aged over 65 years who died at home, where (a) hypothermia was the secondary cause of death, and (b) where hypothermia was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate( 1, 2) , England and Wales, 1999 to 2008( 3) 
			  Deaths (Persons) 
			   (a) Secondary cause  (b) Any mention 
			 1999 26 36 
			 2000 15 21 
			 2001 16 27 
			 2002 17 21 
			 2003 18 22 
			 2004 18 26 
			 2005 17 27 
			 2006 15 20 
			 2007 14 21 
			 2008 21 23 
			 (1) Hypothermia was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 991.6 for the years 1999 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code T68, for the years 2001 to 2008. (2) Deaths reported as (a) secondary cause are included in those reported as (b) any mention. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Employment: West Sussex

Tim Loughton: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of  (a) people and  (b) young people were unemployed in (i) East Worthing and Shoreham and (ii) West Worthing constituency in (A) 2007 and (B) at the latest date for which information is available; and what estimate has been made of the number of employees in each of those constituencies who have moved from full-time to short-time working in the last 12 months.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated September 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many and what proportion of (a) people and (b) young people were unemployed in (i) East Worthing and Shoreham and (ii) West Worthing constituency in (A) 2007 and (B) at the latest date for which information is available; and what estimate has been made of the number of employees in each of those constituencies who have moved from full-time to short-time working in the last 12 months. (291340)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey and its predecessor the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	However, estimates of unemployment for the requested geographies are not available. As an alternative, in Table 1 we have provided the number and percentage of persons claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in July 2007 and July 2009. Table 2 contains the number and percentage of persons aged 18-24 claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in the requested geographies.
	Estimates of the number of employees who have moved from full-time to short-time working are not available for parliamentary constituencies.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons resident in East Worthing and Shoreham and Worthing West claiming Jobseeker's Allowance 
			   East Worthing and Shoreham  Worthing West 
			  Date  Number( 1)  Percentage( 2)  Number( 1)  Percentage( 2) 
			 July 2007 670 1.2 630 1.3 
			 July 2009 1,950 3.6 1,890 3.9 
			 (1) Data rounded to nearest five. (2) Percentage of working age (males 16-64, females 16-59) claiming Jobseeker's Allowance.  Source:  Jobcentre Plus administrative system. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 : Number of persons  aged 18-24 resident in  East Worthing and Shoreham and Worthing West claiming Jobseeker's Allowance 
			   East Worthing and Shoreham  Worthing West 
			  Date  Number( 1)  Percentage( 2)  Number( 1)  Percentage( 2) 
			 July 2007 190 3.2 155 2.8 
			 July 2009 590 9.8 505 9.1 
			 (1) Data rounded to nearest five. (2) Percentage of 18-24 year-olds claiming Jobseeker's Allowance.  Source:  Jobcentre Plus administrative system.

Government Departments: Consultants

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what guidance her Department provides to government departments on the appointment of non-party political policy advisers to Ministers who are not special advisers.

Angela Smith: Recruitment into the civil service is based on the principle of selection on merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the civil service recruitment principles (known previously as the civil service recruitment code).

Government Departments: Standards

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2009,  Official Report, column 475W, on Government departments: standards, if she will place in the Library a copy of the handouts and presentations produced for the participants in the avoidable contact workshops.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	The workshop meetings in question were part of a process of dialogue between Cabinet Office officials, representatives of central Government. It is judged that publication of these materials would be prejudicial to the effective conduct of public affairs. It is the intention of the Cabinet Office to publish baseline figures for the four Departments present at this meeting before the end of summer 2009 along with a statement relating to progress in meeting the Service Transformation Agreement commitment of a 50 per cent. reduction in avoidable contact.

Government Departments: Telephone Services

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will meet representatives of mobile telephone companies to discuss reducing the cost of calling Government services from a mobile telephone.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government recognise that the issue of fair and easy access to public services is a very important one, and the Cabinet Office has already worked with Ofcom to establish the 0300 telephone number range which offers a fairer tariff regardless of the line from which citizens call (including mobiles).
	The Cabinet Office, through the Contact Council, is currently conducting a comprehensive survey of the different number types, such as 0845, 0870 or 0800, used by central Government Departments and agencies, including consideration of their mobile telephone access. The Council intends to use the results of its survey to steer a future cross-Government approach to the use of phone numbers that ensures fair and easy access to public services for all, especially the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. Officials leading this work are already engaging with mobile telephone providers. A meeting with Ministers may be appropriate once the Council's research is complete.

Ministers: Visits Abroad

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for what reasons  (a) paragraph 10.7 and  (b) paragraph 10.8 of the 2005 Ministerial Code, on overseas visits, were removed when the Ministerial Code was revised in 2007.

Tessa Jowell: The Ministerial Code published in July 2007 focuses on the key principles that should govern Ministerial conduct so that Ministers and others can be clear about the standards required.

Polly Toynbee

Eric Pickles: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what payments Ms Polly Toynbee has received from her Department in the last five years; and for what purposes.

Angela Smith: There is no record in the Department's accounting system of any payments made to Ms Toynbee over the last five years.

Origin Marking: Israel

Martin Linton: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if her Department will publish the voluntary guidance issued by her Department on the labelling of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have been exploring the possibility of improving the clarity of labelling of produce from the West Bank. Earlier this year, the Cabinet Office held a meeting with a group of interested parties to discuss the possibility of introducing some voluntary guidance, so that consumers could better understand which products came from occupied Palestinian territories. The Government are carefully considering the next steps following that discussion.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Conservatories

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many dwellings in England have a conservatory.

John Healey: The latest data available is from the 2006 English House Condition Survey, which estimates there are 3.4 million dwellings (16 per cent. of the total stock) in England with a conservatory.
	To count as a conservatory in the survey, the roof must be at least 75 per cent. glass or plastic and the walls must be at least 50 per cent. glass or plastic.

Council Housing: Fire Prevention

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assistance has been provided to local authorities for expenditure on fire safety measures in council housing following the Lakanal House fire in Camberwell.

John Healey: The resources local authorities receive for management and maintenance and major repairs should enable them to implement necessary fire safety measures in council housing.

Council Housing: Waiting Lists

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of people on local authority housing waiting lists had been born outside the UK in each year since 1994.

John Healey: This information is not collected centrally.

Council Tax: Valuation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government under what circumstances the Valuation Office Agency classifies a garden shed as an outbuilding for the purposes of its value significant and dwellinghouse coding system for council tax valuations.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 14 September 2009
	The Valuation Office Agency does not classify a garden shed as an outbuilding for the purposes of its value significant and dwellinghouse coding system.

Energy Performance Certificates

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 1 September 2009,  Official Report, columns 1837-8W, on housing: energy, how many energy performance certificates in respect of properties  (a) of each tenure type and  (b) in each region have been issued to date.

John Healey: The number of energy performance certificates (EPCs) registered for all homes in England and Wales up to and including 9 September 2009 (the latest date for which figures are available) and broken down by tenure type and region is as set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Transaction type  Eastern region  East midlands  London  North-east  North-west  South-east  South-west  West midlands  Yorkshire and Humber  Wales 
			 Marketed sale 88,562 65,951 86,443 37,573 99,442 130,358 90,312 73,427 73,155 44,606 
			 New dwelling 5,514 4,901 4,521 1,782 5,168 7,711 6,054 3,856 3,703 2,945 
			 Not recorded 2,156 1,868 2,460 1,009 3,064 4,841 1,946 1,206 1,598 610 
			 Non-marketed sale 2,851 2,736 3,697 3,125 7,313 4,384 2,960 2,953 3,508 1,108 
			 Not recorded 116,707 85,393 137,289 56,746 149,493 179,032 124,020 90,837 102,404 47,043 
			 Not sale or rental 346 355 1,407 136 653 1,103 254 269 384 144 
			 Rental (private) 75,217 57,340 142,702 27,946 75,997 123,075 72,038 53,772 62,049 26,092 
			 Rental (social) 30,604 26,471 45,213 26,669 54,783 37,023 22,296 38,475 34,746 15,037 
			  Note: These figures exclude a small number of homes for which no postcode information was included at the time that the EPC was lodged on the register.

Energy Performance Certificates

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to page 41 of his Department's proposed recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, how many individual energy performance certificates have been checked and verified for accuracy to date; and how many and what proportion of such checks identified an inaccuracy in the certificate.

John Healey: Accreditation schemes are responsible for conducting quality audits of the energy performance certificates (EPCs) produced by the energy assessors (EAs) they accredit in accordance with CLG requirements-we recommend that a minimum sample of 2 per cent. of all EPCs should be assessed. Accreditation schemes are required to report on the outcome of their quality audit procedures in the annual reports they submit to CLG and which can be viewed online at the following address:
	https://www.ndepcregister.com/schemeAnnualReports.html

Energy Performance Certificates

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to paragraph 64 on page 41 of his Department's publication on Recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, what procedures are used to verify the accuracy of energy performance certificates.

John Healey: Accreditation Schemes are responsible for conducting quality audits of the energy performance certificates (EPCs) produced by the energy assessors (EAs) they accredit in accordance with CLG requirements as set out in the guidance document which can be viewed online at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/doc/newlyconstructeddwellings.doc

Energy Performance Certificates

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the response sent by the Energy Saving Trust to his Department's consultation The Next Steps: EPCs and the establishment of the Green Homes Service.

John Healey: A copy of the Energy Savings Trust's response to the Consultation Paper "The Next Steps: EPCs and the establishment of the Green Homes Service" has been placed in the Library of the House.

Energy Performance Certificates: East Midlands

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many energy performance certificates have been issued in relation to buildings in the East Midlands; how many accredited energy assessors there are in the East Midlands; and how many properties in the East Midlands do not meet required energy performance standards.

John Healey: Up to and including 9 September, the latest date for which figures are available, the number of:
	Energy performance certificates (EPCs) lodged in relation to buildings in the east midlands region is 250,707; and
	Accredited energy assessors whose primary postcode information is listed on the EPC Register as being in the east midlands region is 1,214.
	The Government have not set minimum energy performance standards other than for new buildings, all of which are required to meet the requirements of Part L of the Building Regulations.

Housing: Disabled People

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government is taking to increase the number of newly-built, disability-adapted properties; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society last year stated that all new publicly funded homes will be built to Lifetime Homes Standards from 2011. We will be reviewing the take-up of accessible housing standards, such as Lifetime Homes Standards, across all sectors in 2010. We will decide at that time whether further measures may be required to increase the supply of accessible and adaptable properties in new build housing. In the meantime, we continue to promote the Lifetime Homes Standards as a part of the Code for Sustainable Homes where they are currently mandatory at Code level 6.

Housing: Low Incomes

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homebuyers have received assistance under the HomeBuy Direct Scheme.

John Healey: Provisional estimates put completed sales under the HomeBuy direct scheme at over 600 sales.

Housing: Public Participation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the hon. Member for Meriden of 21 July 2009,  Official Report, column 1662W, on LLM Communications, in which  (a) regions and  (b) localities the regional housing debates were held.

John Healey: The regional housing debates were held in the following regions and locations:
	An East of England debate took place in Cambridge on 26 October 2006;
	A South East of England debate took place in Reading on 22 February 2007;
	A South West of England debate took place in Bristol on 29 March 2007;
	And the final debate took place in London on 24 July 2007.

Housing: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties with each  (a) dwellinghouse and  (b) value significant code in the local authority area of Solihull are recorded on the Valuation Office Agency's electronic records.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 14 September 2009
	The number of domestic properties with the codes requested, as at 2 September 2009, in the local authority area of Solihull is as follows:
	
		
			  (a) Dwellinghouse codes (group type) 
			  Dwellinghouse code  Number of properties 
			 01 291 
			 02 313 
			 03 266 
			 04 701 
			 05 61 
			 06 36 
			 07 110 
			 08 236 
			 09 362 
			 10 131 
			 13 <5 
			 14 14 
			 19 186 
			 20 1,435 
			 21 12,260 
			 24 1,659 
			 25 131 
			 30 4,391 
			 31 37,677 
			 32 8,957 
			 35 325 
			 36 846 
			 37 93 
			 39 5 
			 40 54 
			 41 91 
			 42 40 
			 43 13 
			 44 41 
			 45 <5 
			 46 38 
			 48 41 
			 50 <5 
			 51 5,754 
			 52 0 
			 55 <5 
			 56 8,016 
			 60 714 
			 61 16 
			 62 662 
			 70 <5 
			 71 165 
			 72 <5 
			 80 43 
			 81 20 
			 82 24 
			 90 0 
			 91 0 
			 92 0 
			 94 0 
			 95 0 
			 96 0 
			 97 0 
			 98 0 
			 99 37 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Value significant codes 
			  Value significant code  Number of properties 
			 A 9 
			 AM 12 
			 AO 6 
			 AV 0 
			 AW <5 
			 B 91 
			 BA 11 
			 BB 19 
			 BC 16 
			 BD 31 
			 C 0 
			 CB <5 
			 CH <5 
			 CI 0 
			 CN 0 
			 CO <5 
			 CP 18 
			 CS 38 
			 D 0 
			 DS 5 
			 EF 0 
			 F 0 
			 FC 0 
			 FG <5 
			 FO 41 
			 FP 0 
			 GG <5 
			 GN 0 
			 HO <5 
			 I 0 
			 L 86 
			 LE <5 
			 LF 14 
			 LR 38 
			 LS 11 
			 LT 27 
			 M 0 
			 NA 0 
			 OS <5 
			 P 0 
			 PL 21 
			 PS <5 
			 Q <5 
			 QA 0 
			 QB 0 
			 QC 0 
			 QD <5 
			 R 0 
			 RC <5 
			 S 0 
			 SC 0 
			 T 0 
			 TM 5 
			 TQ 146 
			 TU <5 
			 U 0 
			 UC 78 
			 UL <5 
			 UN 0 
			 UO <5 
			 UP <5 
			 UR 7 
			 US 58 
			 V 0 
			 VC 0 
			 VE 0 
			 VH 0 
			 VI 0 
			 VL <5 
			 VM 0 
			 VO 17 
			 VP 16 
			 VR 0 
			 VS <5 
			 WK 6 
			 X 14 
			 YG 96 
			 ZH 107 
			 ZI 36 
			 ZJ 1,373 
			 ZL 21,278 
			 ZN 35 
		
	
	For both  (a) and  (b) above, where a value of '<5' is displayed, this is to prevent individual properties being identified.
	Of the dwelling house codes, only group type has been provided. Information about the number of domestic properties recorded against other dwellinghouse codes is commercially confidential.

Housing: Valuation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties with each  (a) dwellinghouse and  (b) value significant code in the local authority area of Welwyn Hatfield are recorded in the Valuation Office Agency's electronic records.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 14 September 2009
	The number of domestic properties with the codes requested, as at 2 September 2009, in the local authority area of Welwyn Hatfield is as follows:
	
		
			  (a) Dwellinghouse Codes (Group Type) 
			  Dwelling Codes  Number of properties 
			 01 110 
			 02 206 
			 03 379 
			 04 369 
			 05 16 
			 06 41 
			 07 34 
			 08 29 
			 09 17 
			 10 93 
			 13 0 
			 14 12 
			 19 29 
			 20 463 
			 21 5,162 
			 24 1,098 
			 25 30 
			 30 52 
			 31 22,061 
			 32 3,336 
			 35 150 
			 36 964 
			 37 140 
			 39 <5 
			 40 20 
			 41 0 
			 42 27 
			 43 <5 
			 44 19 
			 45 0 
			 46 37 
			 48 <5 
			 50 28 
			 51 2,606 
			 52 0 
			 55 70 
			 56 6,460 
			 60 557 
			 61 25 
			 62 91 
			 70 20 
			 71 140 
			 2 0 
			 80 14 
			 81 6 
			 82 99 
			 90 0 
			 91 0 
			 92 0 
			 94 0 
			 95 0 
			 96 0 
			 97 0 
			 98 0 
			 99 12 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Value Significant Codes 
			  Value significant codes  Number of properties 
			 A 0 
			 AM <5 
			 AO <5 
			 AV 0 
			 AW 0 
			 B 56 
			 BA 74 
			 BB 241 
			 BC 14 
			 BD 6 
			 C 0 
			 CB <5 
			 CH <5 
			 CI <5 
			 CN 126 
			 CO <5 
			 CP 50 
			 CS 27 
			 D 0 
			 DS 6 
			 EF 0 
			 F 0 
			 FC 0 
			 FG <5 
			 FO 0 
			 FP 0 
			 GG <5 
			 GN 0 
			 HO 0 
			 I 0 
			 L 74 
			 LE 0 
			 LF <5 
			 LR 18 
			 LS 6 
			 LT <5 
			 M 0 
			 NA 0 
			 OS 0 
			 P 0 
			 PL <5 
			 PS 0 
			 Q 0 
			 QA 0 
			 QB 0 
			 QC 0 
			 QD <5 
			 R 0 
			 RC 0 
			 S 0 
			 SC 0 
			 T 0 
			 TM <5 
			 TQ 24 
			 TU 0 
			 U 0 
			 UC 14 
			 UL 0 
			 UN <5 
			 UO <5 
			 UP <5 
			 UR <5 
			 US <5 
			 V 0 
			 VC 0 
			 VE 0 
			 VH 0 
			 VI 0 
			 VL 0 
			 VM 0 
			 VO <5 
			 VP <5 
			 VR 0 
			 VS 0 
			 WK 171 
			 X 0 
			 YG 7 
			 ZH 439 
			 ZI 108 
			 ZJ 2,399 
			 ZL 21,722 
			 ZN 5 
		
	
	For both  (a) and  (b) above, where a value of '<5 is displayed', this is to prevent individual properties being identified.
	Of the dwellinghouse codes, only Group Type has been provided. Information about the number of domestic properties recorded against other dwellinghouse codes is commercially confidential.

London City Airport: Public Consultation

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will undertake an investigation into whether Newham Council followed appropriate procedures for consulting residents affected by proposals to increase the number of flights using London City Airport.

John Healey: It is for Newham council, as local planning authority, to decide the extent to which local residents are consulted about planning applications. This is set out in their Statement of Community Involvement.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households are participating in the Homeowners Mortgage Support Scheme; and how many households have used the scheme since 3 December 2008.

John Healey: Homeowners Mortgage Support was launched in April 2009 as part of the range of support available at every stage for households struggling with their mortgage. We aim to publish information on households who have been helped through Homeowners Mortgage Support later this year.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households have received assistance under the Mortgage Rescue Scheme.

John Healey: The Mortgage Rescue Scheme has been operational across England since January 2009. As part of the monitoring arrangements for the scheme, headline data provided by local authorities operating the scheme and broken down by Government Office Region, are available on the Department's website. The figures can be assessed using the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/mortgagerescuestatistics

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will undertake a cumulative impact assessment on business rates in 2010-11 of the 2010 rates revaluation in empty property rates threshold changes supplementary rates in respect of Crossrail with post-revaluation rateable values and deferred increases from 2009-10.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 14 September 2009
	There are no plans to undertake a cumulative impact assessment. Impact assessments relating to individual policy changes to the business rates system will be published alongside the implementing regulations.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will publish instructions given by Ministers to the Valuation Office Agency since 1999 on the separate business rating of port businesses; and in cases where separate rating was introduced, on what date  (a) that separate rating took effect and  (b) the existing system of paying business rates for those businesses was stopped.

Rosie Winterton: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 20 July 2009,  Official Report, column 824W. Ministers at Communities and Local Government or its predecessor departments have not given any instructions to the Valuation Office Agency on the separate rating of properties within or outside of Ports.
	The principles concerning separate rateability of properties where there is "exclusive occupation" and "paramount control" are long established and have not been recently introduced by the Government. The leading case on the subject is a House of Lords decision from 1936-Westminster Council  v. Southern Railway Company and W.H. Smith and Son.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received on retrospective payments of business rates by port businesses from  (a) foreign governments,  (b) ferry operators,  (c) car importers,  (d) port businesses,  (e) hon. Members with ports in their constituencies and  (f) local authorities with ports in their areas.

Rosie Winterton: The Department for Communities and Local Government has received correspondence from:
	 (a) no foreign governments;
	 (b) no ferry operators;
	 (c) one car importer;
	 (d) four port businesses;
	 (e) 12 hon. Members; and
	 (f) no local authorities with ports in their areas,
	concerning the issues arising from the rating review of ports since 1 July 2009.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many applications have been made by port businesses for a fast-track review of their new business rating assessments; how many reviews have  (a) been begun and  (b) completed; and what changes have been made as a result of each completed review.

Rosie Winterton: As at 9 September 2009, the Valuation Office Agency has applied the fast track arrangements to 703 appeals made by port businesses, 355 of which relate to new business rating assessments with an effective date of 1 April 2005.
	Of the 355 appeals, 154 have now been settled, 48 by agreement and 106 withdrawn. Where agreement has been reached this has resulted in a reduction in the rateable value. The outstanding appeals are in various stages of discussion depending on the facts of each case.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many port businesses have  (a) made and  (b) not made payments towards (i) their new rating assessments and (ii) their retrospective payments back to 2005; and how many in each case have applied to use the scheme for staging retrospective payments.

Rosie Winterton: The Government do not hold information on individual payments of ongoing business rates liabilities. With regard to the backdated business rates liabilities for the port properties affected by the Valuation Office Agency review of rating, local authorities have reported that businesses occupying 209 properties within ports have fully paid their backdated liabilities and that businesses occupying a further 201 properties have been granted a schedule of payments.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to complete his review of retrospective payments of business rates from port businesses newly assessed for business rates.

Rosie Winterton: No time frame has been set for completion of a review.

Public Expenditure

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what analysis of his Department's expenditure by parliamentary constituency has been commissioned in the last 12 months.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 14 September 2009
	No analysis of the Department's expenditure by parliamentary constituency has been commissioned in the last 12 months.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Betting: Internet

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department takes to inform consumers of the jurisdiction in which individual betting websites are licensed.

Ben Bradshaw: Remote gambling operators licensed by the Gambling Commission are subject to strict operating conditions, including the requirement to display on their website their licensed status, licence number and a link to the Gambling Commission's website. Operators are also required to clearly distinguish which parts of their website or link from their website are regulated by the Commission from those which are not.
	The Secretary of State currently has limited power to require websites run by operators licensed overseas to state the jurisdiction in which they are licensed.
	My Department is currently conducting a review of the existing system of remote gambling regulation in Great Britain, and the review's findings will be announced to Parliament before the end of the year.

English Folk Dance and Song Society

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he has had discussions with the English Folk Dance and Song Society on inclusion of England's traditional folk dances as an option within the dance programme to be promoted by the recently-appointed Dance Tsar; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
	We have recently announced the establishment of the Dance Champions Group as set out in Physical Activity Plan, "Be active, be healthy" published earlier in the year. We are also planning to launch the group in the autumn.
	The English Folk Dance and Song Society is represented by the Central Council for Physical and Recreational on the Dance Champions Group.

Horse Racing: Betting

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment has been made of the effects on the Horserace Betting Levy Board 49th Levy scheme of the location by betting operators of parts of their operations overseas.

Ben Bradshaw: No formal assessment has been made by my Department. The Levy Board's own assessment of the impact is in the region of a potential loss of £4.2 million to the 49th Levy scheme.
	We support the Levy Board's aim of securing contributions from gambling operators to ensure the continued health of racing. The Department's Review of remote gaming, which is examining this issue along with many others, will report to Ministers by the end of the year who will report the findings to Parliament.

Swimming

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many local authorities are providing free swimming for over 60 year-olds;
	(2)  how many local authorities in England are seeking to introduce free swimming for under 16 year-olds.

Si�n Simon: 259 local authorities in England have opted into the Free Swimming programme for those aged 60 and over; 190 local authorities have agreed to take part in both the aged 60 and over and 16 and under elements of the Free Swimming programme.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 23 June 2009,  Official Report, column 743W, on armed forces: training, what the percentage shortfall of each type of armoured vehicle used for pre-deployment training was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: Our priority is to get new equipment to the front line as quickly as possible for use by personnel facing the greatest danger. However, we look to ensure that whenever possible new equipment is also provided for troops during pre-deployment training so that they can use it safely and effectively on arrival in theatre. In practice, where shortfalls occur due to prioritising equipment to the front line, sufficient equipment is still made available for training to ensure personnel meet the minimum safety and operating standards. We have recently introduced measures to reinforce this, and all Urgent Operational Business cases now include a clear requirement that sufficient numbers of pre-deployment vehicles are procured and delivered for training before they are deployed operationally.
	The last period for which figures are available was the Mission Rehearsal Exercise for 11 (Light) Brigade in July 2009. The availability of armoured vehicles for this period was as follows:
	Snatch-Vixen: 100 per cent.
	Ridgback: 34 per cent.
	Mastiff: 54 per cent.
	Vector: 53 per cent.
	Warrior: 100 per cent.
	Viking: 18 per cent.
	CVR(T): 100 per cent.
	Panther: 100 per cent.

Armed Forces: Uniforms

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures were used to establish the requirement for the future army dress; what the estimated cost of its introduction and procurement is; whether he has received any representations about the quality of tailoring of the dress; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: In 2003, the Army Board directed that the Army's orders of dress were to be reviewed with a view to updating the current suite of uniforms which had been designed in the 1960s. In 2005, the Army Board accepted the recommendations of the review and directed that the uniforms were to be produced.
	Future Army Dress is funded from within the existing clothing budget and will cost approximately £9.7 million.
	The uniform is produced in the UK, using modern manufacturing processes, and we have received no defect reports to date.

Guided Weapons: Testing

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times UK forces undertook missile firing tests in the Falkland Islands in each of the last 10 years; and what missiles were fired on each occasion.

Bill Rammell: The MOD does not test missiles in the Falkland Islands. However, training exercises are conducted which include firing live missiles against aerial targets.

Guided Weapons: Testing

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who is responsible for deciding where missile testing is carried out.

Bill Rammell: Missile testing is conducted on behalf of individual project teams who have the opportunity to select the trial venue based on criteria such as suitability for the trial in questions, availability, and cost.
	However, in order to secure value-for-money, projects are expected to use one of the facilities provided under the Long Term Partnering Agreement between MOD and QinetiQ and look elsewhere only if these are unable to meet their requirements.

NIDAR Radar System

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions the NIDAR radar system on St. Kilda has been used in each of the last seven years.

Quentin Davies: holding answer 9 September 2009
	Details for NIDIR Radar usage on the island of St. Kilda during the past seven years are as follows:
	
		
			  Date  NIDIR radar runs 
			 2003 69 
			 2004 13 
			 2005 32 
			 2006 67 
			 2007 50 
			 2008 17 
			 2009 (1)14 
			 (1) To date

Nuclear Submarines

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 2 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1400W, to the hon. Member for Moray, on nuclear submarines, on what nuclear submarines the 21 medium scale fires were reported; what the location was of each such submarine at the time of the fire; and when each fire occurred.

Bill Rammell: Royal Navy submarines are operated to the highest possible safety standards. Personnel are rigorously trained to deal efficiently and effectively with all safety incidents.
	Three fires requiring both ship and external resources are recorded as occurring on Royal Navy submarines since 1 January 1987. Details of these are provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Vessel  Location where fire took place  Date of fire 
			 HMS Renown Clyde 17 February 1992 
			 HMS Turbulent Devonport 30 April 1992 
			 HMS Trafalgar Devonport 24 October 2003 
		
	
	In the same time period, there were 20 medium scale fires and details of these are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Vessel  Location where fire took place, if known  Date of fire 
			 HMS Courageous Alongside 10 December 1984 
			 HMS Sceptre Not recorded 29 July 1987 
			 HMS Conqueror Alongside 26 August 1987 
			 HMS Renown Not recorded 15 November 1987 
			 HMS Renown Clyde 10 October 1988 
			 HMS Valiant Clyde 5 August 1989 
			 HMS Valiant Alongside 22 December 1989 
			 HMS Trenchant At sea 21 November 1991 
			 HMS Superb At sea 3 November 1992 
			 HMS Tireless At sea 11 January 1993 
			 HMS Revenge At sea 29 July 1993 
			 HMS Tireless Alongside 22 October 1993 
			 HMS Sovereign Rosyth 7 April 1994 
			 HMS Sovereign Rosyth 22 August 1995 
			 HMS Victorious Alongside 16 October 1995 
			 HMS Talent Devonport 18 January 1999 
			 HMS Sovereign Clyde 17 June 2001 
			 HMS Victorious At sea 22 April 2002 
			 HMS Vigilant Clyde 11 October 2006 
			 HMS Tireless At sea 21 March 2007 
		
	
	For those incidents where the vessel was either 'alongside' or 'at sea', the exact location of the vessel is not recorded centrally.
	On behalf of the Secretary of State for Defence, I have written to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson) to correct the previous statement made on this subject-2 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1400W.

Nuclear Submarines

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reactor design has been selected by the Strategic Deterrent Programme Board for the successor submarine; what other decisions have been made by the Board in 2009; and what further decisions are scheduled to be made by the Board prior to May 2010.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 14 September 2009
	A decision on reactor design for the future deterrent has not yet been taken. Like other key decisions on the future deterrent, this decision will ultimately be taken by Ministers. The Defence Board will consider the work required during the Concept Phase later this year.

Nuclear Submarines

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the programme to build the successor to the Vanguard class submarine is on schedule; and when the initial gateway decision for the programme will be made.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 14 September 2009
	The In Service Date is planned for 2024, as set out in the 2006 White Paper. The Defence Board will consider the work required during the Concept Phase later this year.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what additional unmanned air systems his Department plans to purchase with funds from the Urgent Operational Requirement budget for 2009-10.

Quentin Davies: holding answer 9 September 2009
	We have no current plans to purchase further unmanned air systems under the Urgent Operational Requirement mechanism in the current financial year.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Trust: Stoke-on-Trent

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funding the Carbon Trust has provided to  (a) local authorities,  (b) NHS organisations and  (c) higher and further education institutions in Stoke-on-Trent North constituency since its establishment.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 9 September 2009
	The Carbon Trust has worked with a range of public sector organisations in Stoke-on-Trent including schools, local authorities and NHS organisations to provide carbon management and energy efficiency advice.
	The Carbon Trust has advised me that it is not possible to provide a funding breakdown at a constituency level.

Energy: Housing

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what representations the Energy Saving Trust made for  (a) an increase in council tax in respect of and  (b) a prohibition upon the sale or rent of homes with an F to G energy efficiency rating.

Joan Ruddock: The Energy Saving Trust have made no representations for an increase in council tax in respect of, or a prohibition upon, the sale or rent of homes with an F to G energy efficiency rating.
	From autumn, the Energy Saving Trust will be able to contact people moving into homes rated F and G on the Energy Performance Certificate to give free, impartial energy efficiency advice. EST's research shows home owners can move EPC grade by doing non-major energy saving improvements starting for less than £1,000. There are schemes such as council tax discounts already available to encourage householders to undertake energy efficiency improvements to their homes, a number of which are motivated by energy suppliers in support of their Government obligated carbon emissions reduction target.

Fuel Oil: Prices

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment has been made of the potential effects of a petrol embargo on Iran on the UK economy, with particular reference to oil prices.

David Kidney: As part of DECC's responsibility for the security of energy supplies, we assess a range of supply disruption scenarios, including disruptions to Iranian petroleum exports. However, the content of this analysis is market sensitive and cannot therefore be made public.

Fuel Poverty: Pensioners

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate his Department has made of the  (a) number and  (b) percentage of pensioners living in fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: The Department's latest estimates for fuel poverty are for 2006, available online at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/consumers/fuel_poverty/strategy/annual_report/annual_report.aspx
	These show that in 2006, there were around 2.4 million households in fuel poverty in England. Of those, around 1.3 million contained somebody over the age of 60, around 17 per cent. of all households containing somebody over 60.
	Fuel poverty statistics are published at the household level and are not calculated at an individual person level. Figures on the number and percentage of individual pensioners in fuel poverty are therefore unavailable.

Nuclear Power

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the efficiency of high burn-up fuel used in nuclear power plants.

David Kidney: The Department has not assessed the efficiency of different burn-up(1) levels for nuclear fuels.
	The fuel and its burn-up efficiency is a matter for the commercial operators to address, whilst ensuring that regulatory requirements are met.
	(1) Burn-up is measured by the amount of energy extracted for a given mass of uranium-units GWd/tU.

Warm Front Scheme

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what criteria are used under the Warm Front scheme to determine whether households are in fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: To be eligible for Warm Front the applicant or their spouse must be a homeowner or tenant in the private sector and in receipt of a qualifying disability or income related benefit.
	These qualification criteria were selected because they were considered to provide an effective proxy for assessing the likelihood of an applicant being at risk of fuel poverty.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Calor Gas: Canvey Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with Calor Gas on the designation and provision of a receiving tank as an overfill receiver for its Canvey Island liquefied natural gas terminals; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 9 September 2009
	 DEFRA has not had any discussions with Calor Gas on the designation and provision of a receiving tank as an overfill receiver for its Canvey Island LNG terminals.
	The Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are the joint competent authorities for regulation of the Canvey Island Calor Gas site under the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations (COMAH). I understand the hon. Member has had a number of recent discussions with the HSE about the safe operation of this site.

Cattle: Animal Welfare

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the percentage of dairy cows which are kept in zero-grazing conditions.

Huw Irranca-Davies: No official estimates are available, though previous industry estimates indicate about 5 per cent. of herds have some cattle that are housed all year round.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the  (a) Committee of Investigation for Great Britain,  (b) Expert Group on Cryptosporidium in Water Supplies,  (c) Family Food Committee,  (d) Financial Management and Policy Review of the Commons Commissioners,  (e) Hill Farming Advisory Committee,  (f) National Expert Group on Transboundary Air Pollution,  (g) National Rural Development Forum,  (h) National Statistics Quality Review on Sustainable Farming and Food Regulation Task Force,  (i) Review of Fishing Vessel Licensing,  (j) Review of Funding Mechanisms for Food and Coastal Defence,  (k) Review of Marine Nature Conservation Working Group Science Advisory Group,  (l) Sustainable Consumption and Production Business Taskforce,  (m) Sustainable Development Taskforce,  (n) Sustainable Farming and Food Implementation Group and  (o) Sustainable Farming and Food Research Priorities Group in each of the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 14 September 2009
	The following table sets out the costs of a number of the bodies listed. Officials are currently preparing figures covering the remaining bodies and I will write to the hon. Member with this information when it is available.
	
		
			   £000 
			   Actual 
			  Body  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			  (a) Committee of Investigation for Great Britain(1) 0 0 0 0 0 
			  (d) Financial Management and Policy Review of the Commons Commissioners(2) 0 0 0 0 0 
			  (e) Hill Farming Advisory Committee(3) 0 0 0 0 0 
			  (f) National Expert Group on Transboundary Air Pollution+ 0 0 0 0 0 
			  (h) National Statistics Quality Review on Sustainable Farming and Food Regulation Task Force(5) 0 0 0 0 0 
			  (i) Review of Fishing Vessel Licensing(6) 0 0 0 0 0 
			  (j) Review of Funding Mechanisms for Flood and Coastal Defence(7) 0 0 0 0 0 
			  (k) Review of Marine Nature Conservation Working Group Science Advisory Group(8) 0 0 0 0 0 
			  (l) Sustainable Consumption and Production Business Taskforce(9) 0 0 275 339 0 
			 (1 )The committee was dormant before the start of the period covered by this table and was disbanded in 2006. (2 )All costs were incurred prior to the period covered by this table. (3 )The committee was dormant before the start of the period covered by this table and was disbanded in 2006. (4 )The Group published its final report in 2001 and disbanded. (5 )All costs were incurred prior to the period covered by this table. (6 )The Fishing Vessel Licence Review Working Group (LRWG) published one report in the period covered by the table, in 2006. Costs to the Department were minimal. (7 )All costs were incurred prior to the period covered by this table. (8 )The final report of this Group was published in July 2004. Costs were minimal. (9 )The Taskforce was established in February 2006. It completed its work and was disbanded in March 2008.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 17 November 2008,  Official Report, column 98W, on domestic wastes, if he will place in the Library a copy of each document provided by Chelgate for the Waste and Resources Action Programme as part of its contract.

Dan Norris: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Wavertree (Jane Kennedy) gave to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) on 6 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1880W.
	The requested data concerns the detailed operational activities of the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), and is not therefore held by DEFRA.

Flood Control: Sheerness

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the effectiveness of the sea defences at Sheerness was last assessed.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency carried out its annual inspection of the sea defences at Sheerness in late February. The rock groyne and rock face of the sea wall were found to be in good repair. The defences are designed to provide those living and working in the area with a 1 in 200 year standard of protection, a 0.5 per cent. chance of flooding in a year. This is the standard level of protection to which new sea defences are constructed.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department in  (a) 2009,  (b) 2010 and  (c) 2011 of each non-departmental body it sponsors.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 14 September 2009
	The following table sets out the budgets-comprising administration, programme and capital spend-of the Executive and Tribunal Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs), Public Corporations and other bodies sponsored by the Department in the years  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.
	Officials are currently preparing a set of figures covering the remaining NDPBs sponsored by the Department, including Advisory NDPBs. I will write to the hon. Member with this information when it is available.
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Body  2008-09 Actual  2009-10 Budget  2010-11 Budget 
			  Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies
			 Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales 0.16 0.20 0.20 
			 Agricultural Wages Committee 0.01 0.01 0.01 
			 Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board(1) 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 Commission for Rural Communities 6.30 6.40 6.08 
			 Consumer Council for Water(2) 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 Environment Agency(3) 715.70 762.60 799.90 
			 Food From Britain(4) 10.70 0.00 0.00 
			 Gangmasters Licensing Authority 3.12 4.29 4.02 
			 Joint Nature Conservation Committee(5) 1.90 1.90 1.87 
			 National Forest Company 3.60 3.60 3.51 
			 Natural England(6) 223.74 213.46 168.23 
			 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 26.60 28.50 25.50 
			 Sea Fish Industry Authority 0.30 0.28 0.27 
			 Sustainable Development Commission 2.88 3.06 2.00 
			 
			  Tribunal Non-Departmental Public Bodies
			 Agricultural Land Tribunal (England) 0.04 0.28 0.28 
			 Plant Varieties and Seeds Tribunal(7) 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 
			  Public Corporations
			 British Waterways(8) 62.65 58.34 48.55 
			 Covent Garden Market Authority(9) 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 
			  Other Bodies
			 British Wool Marketing Board(10) 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 National Park Authorities and the Broads Authority 46.72 47.58 48.89 
			 (1 )The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board is industry-funded. (2 )The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is funded by water consumers through a charge to water and sewerage companies in England and Wales by Ofwat. The amount is then passed to DEFRA and the Welsh Assembly Government (joint sponsor) to fund CCW's operations. (3 )Excludes Closed Pension Fund. £20 million of capital grant was brought forward from 2010-11 to 2009-10 for flood risk management work as part of the Government's fiscal stimulus initiative. (4 )The body was closed on 31 March 2009. (5 )Represents costs only of DEFRA-funded JNCC work on reserved matters such as marine work beyond territorial waters, overseas territories and international conventions. Further funding is received from the Devolved Administrations. (6 )Represents DEFRA core funding including (other than for 2010-11 where these are not yet due to be addressed) annually agreed elements for cost neutral recharges for common services such as IT and HR support. (7 )The Plant Varieties and Seeds Tribunal is not currently active. (8 )£5 million of capital grant was brought forward from 2010-11 to 2009-10 for infrastructure projects under the Government's fiscal stimulus initiative. (9 )The Covent Garden Market Authority is industry-funded. (10 )The British Wool Marketing Board is self-funded through the sale of graded wool.

Origin Marking: Israel

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what timetable he has set for consultation on the labelling of goods originating in Israeli settlements.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Government have been exploring the possibility of improving the clarity of labelling of produce from the West Bank. Earlier this year, the Cabinet Office held a meeting with a group of interested parties to discuss the possibility of introducing some voluntary guidance, so that consumers could better understand which products came from occupied Palestinian territories. The Government are carefully considering the next steps following that discussion.

Water Charges

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the proposed charge allowed by Ofwat for water companies in the 2009 Price Review is for  (a) staff costs and  (b) other costs.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The table sets out what Ofwat has assumed in its draft determinations for water companies' employment costs and other operating expenditure for all water companies in England and Wales for the period 2010 to 2015.
	
		
			   Costs (£ million) 
			 Employment costs 2,194.9 
			 Other operating expenditure 16,268.3 
			 Total 18,463.2

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Elections

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether the recent elections in Afghanistan were free and fair.

Ivan Lewis: The 20 August 2009 Presidential and Provincial Council elections in Afghanistan were the first Afghan-run elections for over 30 years. That the insurgents were unable to disrupt this important day is a tribute to the Afghan National Security Forces and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's International Security Assistance Force. The Afghan people want and deserve the right to decide the future of their country and we and the international community are committed to helping them achieve this. Credible elections, that represent the will of the people, demonstrate that the Afghan Government have the authority to rule.
	We and the rest of the international community are following the elections result process closely. There have been allegations of fraud but it is important that we wait for the Election Complaints Commission to complete their investigation processes into allegations of fraud, and for the election observation missions to report their conclusive findings. In this intervening period, we call on all parties to exercise patience and respect the process for which so many Afghans made their support clear on polling day.
	The UN, the relevant Afghan authorities and international observation missions have taken every possible measure to prevent fraud. The Afghan Independent Election Commission, the UN and the international community worked hard to ensure that there was a level playing field for candidates, and that these elections could be as credible and inclusive as possible. Multiple safeguards such as photographs and fingerprints were in place to minimise fraudulent registration and voting.
	There were over 400 international observers on the ground, including 100 from the EU. 7,000 independent monitors were also registered with the Independent Electoral Commission by the Afghan Free and Fair Elections Association. The UK has helped fund election observation missions and 23 of our staff participated in the EU observation mission.

Afghanistan: Elections

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions on the subject of Mr. Al-Megrahi he has had with the Scottish Executive Justice Minister in 2009.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had any discussions with the Scottish Executive Justice Minister on the subject of Mr. Al-Megrahi.

Africa: Armed Conflict

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of the activities of the Lords Resistance Army in  (a) Sudan,  (b) the Democratic Republic of Congo and  (c) the Central African Republic; and if he will make a statement

Ivan Lewis: On 28 August, the UN reported that an estimated 125,000 people had been displaced by the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) in the Haut Uele district of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the last three weeks. The LRA has also forced an estimated 8,000 Congolese to flee to neighbouring Southern Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR).
	There has also been a recent increase in LRA attacks in Southern Sudan, close to the DRC border, which have displaced thousands of Sudanese, adding to the severe humanitarian situation in the region. Since March 2008, mere have been reports of periodic LRA incursions into the South East of CAR.
	UN teams are monitoring the situation and assisting the refugees and internally displaced people. The UN peacekeeping mission in DRC. MONUC, has increased its presence in the DRC region where the LRA is active and is helping the Congolese army with logistics. Regional cooperation on this issue is ongoing.

British Nationality: Torture

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance his Department follows in response to reports of British nationals having been tortured abroad.

David Miliband: Consular staff are specifically trained on what action to take in response to any allegation of mistreatment, and there is clear guidance for such cases.
	This guidance includes the identification of possible signs of torture and mistreatment, as well as the procedures to be adopted in such circumstances. The first step when a British national is detained overseas is to seek and secure access by our consular staff. Our staff are instructed to ask our nationals whether they have suffered abuse or mistreatment, and to look out for signs of mistreatment even where an individual does not raise it. They are required to follow up all reports of mistreatment whether they come from the individual themselves, from their friends, family or representatives, or from other sources. What form this follow up action will take will depend on the individual circumstances of the case. Most obviously, we can raise our concerns with the relevant authorities. Whatever action we take the objective remains the same: to end the mistreatment, and have the incident investigated and the perpetrators of any abuse brought to justice.
	In many countries we also raise more general concerns around the mistreatment and abuse of detainees as part of our wider human rights dialogue.

Consular Posts

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to monitor the response of consular posts to reports of British nationals abroad since 2004.

David Miliband: There are a number of ways in which cases of British nationals alleging mistreatment are monitored. Since the rollout of an effective electronic case management system between 2002 and 2005, Consular Directorate in London has been able to monitor cases in real-time.
	Posts have been required since 1 April 2005 to collate statistics on the number of cases where we have raised concerns with the detaining authorities over allegations of torture or abuse.
	Finally, we are currently in the process of deploying Consular Regional Directors around the world, whose responsibilities include monitoring the performance of posts in their regions, including on the response of these posts to allegations of mistreatment.

G20: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what external  (a) public relations and  (b) public affairs firm were contracted to provide support for the London G20 Summit; and at what cost to the public purse.

Ivan Lewis: No external public relations or public affairs firms were contracted to provide support for the London G20 Summit.
	However, a temporary unit was created within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to support posts in their engagement with overseas media, help organise local events during the run up to the summit, as well as providing information for the London summit website.
	This was staffed by FCO and externally contracted staff who acted as project co-ordinators and content developers, rather than in a public affairs capacity.

Indonesia

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with the Indonesian Government taking steps against former members of the Indonesian Kopassus Special Forces named in 2007 by the Coroner of New South Wales in her findings in relation to the deaths of British citizens Malcolm Rennie and Brian Peters in 1975 in East Timor; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Australian Federal Police have announced their intention to launch an investigation on the basis of the findings of the 2007 inquiry by the Coroner of New South Wales. We shall consider our position carefully in the light of the results of the Australian Federal Police investigation. The British Government hopes that the investigation may succeed in shedding light on the circumstances in which Malcolm Rennie and Brian Peters died, thereby bringing some comfort and greater certainty to their families. We do not intend at this stage to raise the issue with the Indonesian authorities.

Israel

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli Prime Minister on issuing building permits for new housing in Gush Etzion, Ma'aleh Adumim, Givat Ze'ev and other Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in advance of a settlement freeze.

Ivan Lewis: We are extremely concerned by the recent approval by the Israeli Government of new illegal settlement construction permits. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made this clear in a recent telephone conversation with Ehud Barak.
	The Government's position on Israeli settlements has been consistent and robust: they are illegal, a clear violation of international law, and an obstacle to peace. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made this clear during his 25 August 2009 meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister.

Libya

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many official visits to Libya were made by officials from his Department in (a) 2006,  (b) 2007,  (c) 2008 and  (d) 2009; and what the purpose of each such visit was.

David Miliband: There is no central record of the number of official overseas visits made by Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials to Libya. However officials from various parts of the FCO, both in the UK and overseas, visit Libya regularly in the course of their official duties.
	Senior officials hold an annual meeting with Libyan government officials which alternates between Tripoli and London. No senior officials meeting has taken place in 2009.
	During the course of their visits officials work to deliver Government objectives in the fields of security, trade, co-operation in the UN and African Union, visas, consular matters and the safety, security and wellbeing of FCO officials and their families living and working in Tripoli.

Lockerbie: Bombings

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times he has discussed the case of Mr. Al-Megrahi with his US counterpart since Mr. Al-Megrahi's conviction.

David Miliband: I hold regular discussions with my US counterpart, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on a range of issues, such as the case of Mr. Al-Megrahi. The content of these discussions remains confidential as is normal practice.
	UK and US officials worked closely together following the Lockerbie bombing to bring Mr. Al-Megrahi to justice. My officials have remained in close contact with US colleagues both before and since Mr. Al-Megrahi's conviction.

Lockerbie: Bombings

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions Ministers and officials from his Department have had with their Libyan counterparts since March 2004.

Ivan Lewis: Since 2004 there have been a number of ministerial visits to Libya made by Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers: two in 2004, one in 2005, two in 2006, one in 2007, one in 2008 and two in 2009. During the same period, Ministers from Libya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs have visited the UK for meetings with their UK counterparts on a number of occasions: one in 2004, three in 2008 and six in 2009.
	Ministerial discussions since 2004 have covered the full range of UK-Libyan bilateral relations, including co-operation in the fields of security, trade, at UN and with the African Union: as well as, visas, consular matters and the safety, security and wellbeing of FCO officials and their families living and working in Tripoli.
	There is no central record of the number of official overseas visits made by FCO officials to Libya. However officials from various parts of the FCO, both in the UK and overseas, visit Libya regularly in the course of their official duties. Senior officials hold an annual meeting with Libyan Government officials which alternates between Tripoli and London. No senior officials meeting has taken place in 2009. Issues discussed since 2004 covered the full range of UK-Libyan bilateral relations.

Naheem Hussain: Rehan Zaman

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the reasons were for the time taken for his Department to respond to reports of Naheem Hussain and Rehan Zaman being tortured in Pakistan; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: When consular staff from our High Commission in Islamabad first visited them in prison on 29 July 2004, Mr Naheem Hussain and Mr Rehan Zaman raised allegations that they had been mistreated while in initial police custody. This was reported back to London. We failed to seek an explicit view at the time from them as to whether they wanted us to raise their concerns with the local authorities.
	Staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London subsequently advised the High Commission in Islamabad to seek such a view on their next visit to Mr Hussain and Mr Zaman. However, once it was realised that this would not be until October 2004-prison visits to British nationals in Pakistan are usually done on a three monthly cycle-a decision was taken to seek their view via their lawyer which we did in early September 2004. As the right hon. Member will be aware, their lawyer subsequently confirmed that they did not want the matter raised with the local authorities.
	It should not have taken five weeks from our first visit to Mr Hussain and Mr Zaman to obtain their view. Our consular guidance has developed since 2004 and we have taken steps to ensure such a delay would not happen now. This has included giving clear guidance to our consular staff both overseas and in London that where we have reason to believe a British national has been mistreated in detention overseas, this should be raised urgently with the relevant authorities. Our immediate objective in these cases is to have the allegations investigated and, if there is a possibility that mistreatment is continuing, to ensure that it is stopped. By reacting promptly in this way we also hope to deter abuse in future cases.

Pakistan

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether guidelines were in place in British posts in Pakistan in July 2004 which set out procedures to respond to allegations of the torture of British nationals.

David Miliband: In 2004, guidance for consular staff made clear the importance of responding to such allegations, including the need to report such cases to the Consular Directorate in London, and to ask the individuals concerned whether they wished us to raise them with the relevant authorities.

Sudan: Peace Negotiations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of  (a) progress in relation to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in Sudan and  (b) the long-term outlook for Sudan, with particular reference to recent reports of resources from sharing oil revenues.

Ivan Lewis: The UK welcomes progress that has been made in recent months towards implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). This includes acceptance by both the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the National Congress Party (NCP) of the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in relation to the Abyei area and both parties' commitment to implement the decision.
	The UK also welcomes the signing by the SPLM and NCP. under the facilitation of US Envoy General Gration, of the Points of Agreement document on the outstanding CPA milestones. We are concerned however that further progress is required on several critical issues, including agreement of the census results, preparations for the elections in April 2010 and for the referendum on self-determination for South Sudan in 2011. The UK is working closely with both parties and with international partners to press for implementation of the outstanding issues.

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the alcohol industry on reducing the availability of cheap alcohol.

Mike O'Brien: No such recent discussions have taken place.
	However, Government have just finished a consultation on a mandatory code for alcohol retailers. This proposed restrictions on very cheap alcohol sold below cost, and on irresponsible promotions such as all you can drink type offers.
	The Government announced in May its decision not to proceed with any measures concerning a minimum unit price at a national or local level.
	While there is good evidence that cheap alcohol is linked to people drinking more and the subsequent harm to their health, it is important that any Government interventions reduce harm without impacting unduly on the majority of adults who do drink responsibly.
	Government will look to develop further the evidence base in this area with a view to identifying concrete proposals for action, which reduce irresponsible, harmful and/or binge drinking without impacting unduly on the majority of responsible drinkers.

Allergies

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2009,  Official Report, column 965W, on allergies: consultants, what steps he plans to take to inform primary care staff of the National Occupational Standards on Allergy developed by Skills for Health.

Mike O'Brien: The National Occupational Standards on Allergy developed by Skills for Health are available on the Skills for Health website at:
	www.skillsforhealth.org.uk
	Guidance setting out their use is also freely available to employers organisations and staff across the sector.

Allergies

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2009,  Official Report, column 685W, on allergies, whether his Department has taken steps to increase the number of posts advertised in open recruitment for entry into allergy.

Mike O'Brien: Pursuant to the answer given on 7 July 2009, no additional posts have been established by the Department for open recruitment into allergy. The Department created an additional five centrally funded allergy training posts and five immunology posts in 2007. The national health service and deaneries are responsible for establishing whether there is a local need to commission more local training posts.

Cancer: Prescriptions

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of cancer patients in  (a) Leicestershire,  (b) the East Midlands and  (c) England have obtained the exemption from prescription charges since April 2009.

Mike O'Brien: Cancer patients were able to apply for Medical Exemption (MEDEX) certificates (which entitle them to exemption from prescription charges) from 25 January 2009, although these certificates were not valid until 1 April 2009. From this date until 9 September 2009, the total number of valid prescription charge certificate applications processed by NHS Help with Health Costs in England, for cancer patients resident in England, where cancer was the only medical condition ticked on the FP92A application form, was 59,900. The Department is unable to provide the proportionate analysis requested in the question because data on the total number of cancer patients in England who could benefit from the exemption are not available. Nor is it possible to provide a sub-national breakdown of the number of MEDEX issued for cancer, as these data are not held.

Embryos: Storage

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority on cases where parents wish to store embryos for their infertile offspring under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Statutory Storage Period for Embryos and Gametes) Regulations 2009; and what guidance his Department has provided on this matter.

Mike O'Brien: The Department has not issued guidance on cases where parents wish to store embryos for their infertile offspring. The individual factors of each case would be taken into account by a registered medical practitioner when deciding if the criteria for extending storage periods for embryos or gametes on the grounds of premature infertility are met.
	The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has produced guidance, including through workshops, on the various changes that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 and its related regulations introduce.

Embryos: Storage

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance his Department has provided on whether a couple whose gametes were used to bring about the creation of an embryo may extend storage of the embryo for 10 years as referred to in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Statutory Storage Period for Embryos and Gametes) Regulations 2009, where one of the couple is eligible for the extension on the basis of premature infertility, but the other person whose gametes were used to bring about the creation of the embryo is beyond natural childbearing age;
	(2)  what discussions his Department has had with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority on the age at which infertility would no longer been deemed premature in  (a) men and  (b) women for the purposes of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Statutory Storage Period for Embryos and Gametes) Regulations 2009;
	(3)  with reference to Parts 2 and 3 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Statutory Storage Period for Embryos and Gametes) Regulations 2009, what guidance his Department has provided on whether a person who was prematurely infertile on the day of examination, but whose infertility would no longer be premature for the whole of the subsequent 10 years would be eligible for a full 10 year extension of storage of embryos and gametes, with the exception of the final extension to 55 years.

Mike O'Brien: As far as guidance issued by the Department and discussion it has had with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority are concerned, I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Enfield, Southgate (Mr. Burrowes) on 9 September 2009,  Official Report, column 1984W.
	The purpose of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Statutory Storage Period for Embryos and Gametes) Regulations 2009 is to provide more scope for people who are prematurely infertile to have children. Decisions to provide treatment using any such stored gametes or embryos will be subject to the normal welfare of the child considerations.

Gender Identity Disorder

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that all primary care trusts provide accessible, timely and high quality gender identity services.

Mike O'Brien: The Department is committed to the delivery of high quality national health service gender identity services. Primary care trust commissioning of gender identity services remains a matter for local prioritisation, with access to services determined by clinical need and local decision-making.
	The Department is in the process of writing out to all NHS chief executives and their teams, via the weekly NHS leadership team bulletin the week, to reiterate this commitment to high quality gender identity services and the importance of considering such cases individually, according to clinical need.

Health Services: Travelling People

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding is being provided to friends, families and Travellers for its work on access to healthcare for Travellers.

Mike O'Brien: £55,355 funding was provided to Friends, Families and Travellers to support access to healthcare for Travellers. The grant has been made through the Third Sector Investment programme and supports our wider aim of reducing health inequalities and paying particular attention to groups or sections of society where improvements in health and life expectancy are not keeping pace with the rest of the population.

Hospitals

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many days on average an in-patient in a hospital in England received treatment in each year since 1997; and how many such patients waited 183 days or more to receive treatment in each such year.

Mike O'Brien: Data on the average (mean) in-patient length of stay is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Average length of stay( 1)  in days for in-patients in England, 1997-98 to 2007-08 
			   Average length of stay (Days) 
			 1997-98 8.8 
			 1998-99 8.4 
			 1999-2000 7.8 
			 2000-01 8.2 
			 2001-02 8.1 
			 2002-03 7.9 
			 2003-04 7.4 
			 2004-05 7.1 
			 2005-06 6.6 
			 2006-07 6.3 
			 2007-08 5.7 
			 (1) Length of stay (LOS) is calculated as the difference in days between the admission date and the episode end date (duration of episode) or discharge date (duration of spell), where both dates are given. LOS is based on hospital stays and only applies to ordinary admissions, i.e. day cases are excluded (unless otherwise stated). Information relating to LOS figures, including discharge method/destination, diagnoses and any operative procedures, is based only on the final episode of the spell.  Notes: 1. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data is also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and Social Care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 2. Time waited statistics from HES are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period, whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension. 3. This is the total number of eligible admissions from which the mean and median time waited are derived. Admissions contributing towards this total are waiting list and booked admissions, with planned admissions being excluded. A waiting list admission is one in which a patient has been admitted electively into hospital from a waiting list, having been given no date of admission at the time a decision to admit was made. Alternatively, booked admissions are those in which the patient was admitted electively having been given a date at the time it was decided to admit, determined on the grounds of resource availability. Planned admissions are excluded as they are usually part of a planned sequence of clinical care determined mainly on clinical criteria, which, for example, could require a series of events, perhaps taking place every three months, six months or annually.  Source: Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES), the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care. 
		
	
	Data on the number of in-patient admissions where time waited was 183 days or longer is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Total admissions with eligible time waited information( 1)  with a time waited of  183 days or longer in England, 1997-98 to 2007-08 
			   Total admissions with a time waited of 183 days or more 
			 1997-98 603,777 
			 1998-99 727,812 
			 1999-2000 596,906 
			 2000-01 591,287 
			 2001-02 606,601 
			 2002-03 673,649 
			 2003-04 681,753 
			 2004-05 512,758 
			 2005-06 381,912 
			 2006-07 261,534 
			 2007-08 147,522 
			 (1) A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Notes: 1. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data is also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and Social Care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 
			 2. Time waited statistics from HES are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period, whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension. 3. This is the total number of eligible admissions from which the mean and median time waited are derived. Admissions contributing towards this total are waiting list and booked admissions, with planned admissions being excluded. A waiting list admission is one in which a patient has been admitted electively into hospital from a waiting list, having been given no date of admission at the time a decision to admit was made. Alternatively, booked admissions are those in which the patient was admitted electively having been given a date at the time it was decided to admit, determined on the grounds of resource availability. Planned admissions are excluded as they are usually part of a planned sequence of clinical care determined mainly on clinical criteria, which, for example, could require a series of events, perhaps taking place every three months, six months or annually.  Source: Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES), the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care.

Human-Animal Hybrid Embryos

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the statutory authority is for the granting of a licence to examine human admixed embryos which have been stored in licensed premises for the purposes of investigating a suspected offence under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990; and whether regulations will be required to be made.

Mike O'Brien: Human admixed embryos must be held at a centre licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority if they are being kept or used in connection with the investigation of, or proceedings for, an offence under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008). This requirement is provided for in section 4A(2)(c) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended). Using human admixed embryos includes examination of embryos.
	There is no intention to make regulations concerning the keeping, examination or storage of human admixed embryos in connection with the investigation of, or proceedings for an offence under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended).

IVF

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to increase the number of in vitro fertilisation treatment cycles available on the NHS in  (a) England and  (b) Leeds.

Mike O'Brien: We are working with the national health service and the patient support group Infertility Network UK to encourage primary care trusts (PCTs) in the provision of three full cycles of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, as recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines.
	In 2008, we set up an expert group on commissioning NHS infertility provision. Their interim report identified barriers to the commissioning of IVF by PCTs and the final report of the expert group will be published in the autumn.
	In June this year, the expert group produced a commissioning aid to help commissioners understand the particular sensitivities and complexities of infertility and its treatment. Alongside the commissioning aid, we also published access criteria, which were developed by Infertility Network UK in discussion with the expert group. To launch both the commissioning aid and the access criteria we ran a conference for commissioners, to help raise awareness.
	We are monitoring IVF treatment provision across the country to help identify where further work is required to assist PCTs in assessing the needs of fertility patients and helping them to deliver those services in an equitable way.
	The Yorkshire and the Humber strategic health authority (SHA) has advised that the Yorkshire and the Humber Specialised Commissioning Group is currently consulting on a region wide policy for fertility treatment. Further information is on their website:
	www.yhscg.nhs.uk/consultation/fertility.htm
	The SHA has advised that one of the issues being considered is the number of cycles of in vitro fertilisation treatment and it is expected that the policy will be in place by April 2010.

Learning Disability: Supported Housing

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements his Department has put in place for monitoring and inspection of the quality of care in supported living accommodation for adults with learning difficulties; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Everyone living in supported living has a community care plan and increasingly a person-centred plan. The resources allocated to support them are based on these plans and are monitored through the care management assessment, and review process. These reviews take place at least once a year and ensure that arrangements set out in the plans are in place and that the person is receiving high quality support as agreed.
	The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates health and adult social care services, whether provided by the national health service, local authorities, private companies or voluntary organisations. CQC ensures that essential common quality standards are being met where care is provided and work towards the improvement of care services.
	Domiciliary Care Agencies, who provide care support for people in supported living, must be registered with the CQC and they inspect them. Local authority commissioners of these care services will have contract management arrangements in place to monitor individual Agencies.

NHS: Finance

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department made of expenditure from the public purse on the NHS in England in respect of each of the last 10 years expressed  (a) in cash terms,  (b) as a percentage of gross domestic production and  (c) as a percentage of all public expenditure.

Mike O'Brien: Table 1 shows total net national health service expenditure in England in cash terms in each year since 1998.
	Table 2 shows United Kingdom health expenditure as a proportion of (i) gross domestic product (GDP) and (ii) total managed expenditure.
	
		
			  Table 1: NHS total expenditure: England-1998-99 to 2010-11 
			Net NHS expenditure nominal( 1)  (£ billion) 
			  Cash( 2)   
			 1998-99 Outturn 36.6 
			 1999-2000 Outturn 39.9 
			
			  Resource Budgeting Stage 1( 3)   
			 1999-2000 Outturn 40.2 
			 2000-01 Outturn 43.9 
			 2001-02 Outturn 49.0 
			 2002-03 Outturn 54.0 
			
			  Resource Budgeting Stage 2( 4,5)   
			 2003-04 Outturn 64.2 
			 2004-05 Outturn 69.1 
			 2005-06 Outturn 75.8 
			 2006-07 Outturn 80.6 
			 2007-08 Outturn 89.3 
			 2008-09 Estimated outturn 94.5 
			 2009-10 Plan 102.7 
			 2010-11 Plan 105.8 
			 (1).Figures are not consistent over the period (1998-99 to 2010-11), therefore it is difficult to make comparisons across different periods. (2).Expenditure pre 1999-2000 is on a cash basis. (3).Expenditure figures from 1999-2000 to 2002-03 are on a Stage 1 Resource Budgeting basis. (4).Expenditure figures from 2003-04 to 2010-11 are on a Stage 2 Resource Budgeting basis. (5) Figures from 2003-04 include a technical adjustment for trust depreciation.  Notes: 1. Expenditure excludes NHS (AME). 2. GDP deflator 30 June 2009. 3. Total Expenditure is calculated as the sum of revenue and capital expenditure net of non-Trust Depreciation and impairments. This is in line with HMT Guidance. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: UK health expenditure as a proportion of (i) gross domestic product, and (ii) total managed expenditure 
			UK public spending on health as a percentage of GDP  UK public spending on health as a percentage of total managed expenditure 
			 1998-99 Outturn 5.3 14.2 
			 1999-2000 Outturn 5.2 14.4 
			 2000-01 Outturn 5.5 14.9 
			 2001-02 Outturn 5.8 15.4 
			 2002-03 Outturn 6.1 15.7 
			 2003-04 Outturn 6.5 16.5 
			 2004-05 Outturn 6.8 16.8 
			 2005-06 Outturn 7.1 17.1 
			 2006-07 Outturn 7.0 17.2 
			 2007-08 Outturn 7.2 17.5 
			 2008-09 Estimated outturn 7.7 17.8 
			  Sources: Calculated percentages use information on: 1. Health Public Spending-Table 4.2/Table 4.4 HM Treasury PESA 2009 2. ONS data for money GDP (not seasonally adjusted, BKTL) 3. Total Managed Expenditure: Budget 2009 Table C17 
		
	
	GDP and Public Expenditure are reported on a UK basis by HM Treasury. In order to avoid a misleading calculation, UK based figures for health expenditure have been used in the calculation and not England figures as shown in Table 1. This method is use in response to similar questions posed as part of the Health Select Committee's Public Expenditure Inquiry.

NHS: Finance

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been  (a) agreed to be spent and  (b) spent in each primary care trust under the national capitation formula in each year since its inception.

Mike O'Brien: Revenue allocations under the national capitation formula were first made to primary care trusts (PCTs) in 2003-04. Tables showing the Revenue Resource Limit (RRL) and Net Operating Costs for PCTs for each year between 2003-04 and 2008-09 have been placed in the Library.
	The Revenue Resource Limit sets the level of agreed revenue expenditure a PCT can incur in a financial year. The Net Operating Costs represent the net revenue expenditure actually incurred in a financial year.
	Revenue allocations made under the national capitation formula constitute the majority of the Revenue Resource Limit, with the balance of that limit comprising central programme allocations and agreed inter-authority transfers.

Osteoporosis

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the merits of piloting osteoporosis indicators for inclusion in the 2011-12 Quality and Outcomes Framework.

Mike O'Brien: Under the new independent process for reviewing proposed changes to the clinical indicators within the current Quality and Outcomes Framework, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) are responsible for making any assessment and recommendations for prioritisation. Details of indicators that NICE are currently considering for development were published on 8 September, a copy has been placed in the Library.
	NICE will also make a facility available on their website for any organisation or stakeholder to submit proposals for new indicators or changes to existing indicators later this month (September).

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases there have been of individuals claiming exemptions from prescription charges to which they are not entitled in the latest year for which figures are available; what procedures are used by the NHS to reclaim monies owed when such individuals are  (a) on benefit and  (b) have a low income; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Information on the number of individuals claiming prescription exemptions to which they are not entitled is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The NHS Counter Fraud Service undertakes exercises to measure losses due to false claims for prescription charge evasion. The last such exercise examined claims made in 2007-08. This showed that 2 per cent. of claims for exemption were fraudulent.
	Since August 2001, a penalty charge system has been in place in respect of those wrongly claiming exemption to NHS prescription charges. This involves recovering the original charge plus a penalty charge. Recoveries and collection of penalty charges are made by primary care trusts, in the first instance through a civil legal process.
	Trusts have discretion to waive the penalty charge if the patient is in a vulnerable group or if there are other relevant circumstances in individual cases. In cases where payment of a penalty charge is pursued, patients on a low income may seek an agreement to pay in instalments.
	Patients in receipt of benefits that do not qualify them for exemption to prescription charges and patients on low incomes may be eligible to apply for exemption from prescription charges under the NHS Low Income Scheme.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cautions were issued for public drinking offences in Suffolk in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: Information showing the number of offenders cautioned for public drinking offences in the Suffolk police force area from 2003-07 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table. Data for 2008 are planned for publication in the autumn of 2009.
	The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time, the principal offence is the more serious offence.
	The Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) Scheme was implemented in all 43 police forces in England and Wales in 2004 under the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. Offences relating to public drinking were included in the scheme.
	
		
			  Number of offenders cautioned( 1)  for public drinking offences( 2) , in Suffolk police force area, 2003-07( 3, 4) 
			   Number 
			 2003 240 
			 2004 188 
			 2005 81 
			 2006 70 
			 2007 48 
			 (1) From 1 June 2000, the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. (2) Includes the following offences: 14001: (a) Being found drunk in a highway or other public place whether a building or not, or a licensed premises. (Licensing Act 1872 Sec 12.) 14011: (b) Contravene a community support officers' requirement not to consume liquor. Penalty offence under S.1 Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001-alcohol consumption in designated public places. (Police Reform Act 2002 Sch.4 Para.5 (Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S.12). Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S12.) 14101: (c) Any person who in any public place is guilty, while drunk, of disorderly behaviour. (Criminal Justice Act 1967 Sec.91.) (3) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time, the principal offence is the more serious offence. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit: Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

Alcoholic Drinks: Unpaid Fines

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) penalty notices for disorder and  (b) other fines for being drunk and disorderly remained unpaid (i) six and (ii) 12 months after issue in each of the last five years.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 21 July 2009
	Information on paid, part paid and unpaid fines for offences of drunk and disorderly are not collected centrally. Information on the enforcement rate of financial penalties imposed by courts is held but cannot identify the originating offence.
	It is therefore not possible to establish how many fines remain unpaid over the last five years for drunk and disorderly offences.

Departmental Billing

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in June 2009.

Phil Woolas: The Home Department has invested significantly in its people, with the creation of a professional Shared Service Centre and Procurement Centre of Excellence complemented by the creation of new processes and upgraded Procure to Pay systems.
	The Department has been putting a firm focus on paying its suppliers on time when it is in receipt of a compliant invoice. It has been working closely with colleagues in the Department for Business Innovation and Skills reporting on both our legislative obligations of 30 days as well as the 10 day PM's commitment for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) for correctly presented compliant invoices.
	The Home Office Headquarters and UKBA's performance of paying SME compliant invoices within 10 days for June 2009 following the PM's announcement is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Home Office HQ and UKBA 
			  Month: June 2009 
			   Number  Percentage 
			 Total number of all invoices paid 4,112 - 
			 Percentage of total number of all invoices paid within 10 days - 22 
			 Number of SMEs' compliant invoices, paid within 10 days 880 - 
			 SMEs, percentage of compliant invoices paid within 10 days - 99 
		
	
	Both the Criminal Records Bureau and Identity and Passport Service are working to identify SMEs and change their systems to pay compliant invoices within 10 days of receipt.

Entry Clearances

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 12 May 2009,  Official Report, column 666W, how many representations he has received from  (a) hon. Members and  (b) other agencies alleging the use of duress in obliging a spouse to sign an application for leave to remain.

Phil Woolas: The information requested on representations relating to this issue is not collated and could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual correspondence and case records at disproportionate cost.
	However, the United Kingdom Border Agency is appraised of the seriousness of this issue and staff have been issued with policy guidance on this.

Offensive Weapons: Crime

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his most recent assessment is of the effectiveness of the Tackling Knives Action programme in reducing the number of offences related to the possession of a knife.

David Hanson: holding answer 20 July 2009
	I believe the scheme has been of benefit in supporting 16 forces to tackle knife crime.
	Management information has been collected from a range of sources both before and during the TKAP period, defined as July 2008 to March 2009. This management information was published on 22 July; Tackling Knives Action programme (TKAP) Phase 1: Overview of key trends from a monitoring programme is available on the Home Office Crime Reduction website:
	http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/violentstreet/violentstreet014.htm

Offensive Weapons: Schools

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the engagement of police officers in education programmes in schools in reducing the number of offences related to the possession of a knife.

David Hanson: holding answer 20 July 2009
	We are working with local partners in expanding the coverage of Safer School Partnerships (SSPs) to become the norm rather than the exception.
	Through the Tackling Knives Action Programme we have invested more than £3 million on initiatives to keep children safe in and around schools, including Safer Schools Partnerships (SSP). There are now more than 5,000 Safer Schools Partnerships in operation.
	In 2005, York university carried out an evaluation of Safer Schools Partnerships. The partnership is a formal agreement between schools and police to work together in order to keep people safe, reduce crime and the fear of crime and improve behaviour in schools and their communities. Key findings from the evaluation showed that SSP schools:
	Have sought ways of identifying and working with children and young people at risk of becoming victims or offenders.
	Have reduced truancy rates and helped total absence rates in relation to comparison schools.
	Have an environment in which pupils feel significantly safer than their counterparts in comparison schools.
	On 11 May 2009 the Home Secretary and Ed Balls, Secretary of State for the Department for Children Schools and Families, launched the new SSP Guidance and DVD to provide advice on what constitutes a Safer School Partnership, the benefits, how to set up and how to maintain an SSP.

Police

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets his Department has set for police forces for 2009-10.

David Hanson: holding answer 9 September 2009
	As part of the Policing Green Paper, From the Neighbourhood to the National: Policing our Communities Together, the Home Office stated that it would neither set nor maintain top-down numerical targets for individual police forces with the exception of one-to increase public confidence that the police and local councils are dealing with antisocial behaviour and crime issues that matter locally. Each police force will be expected to increase public confidence levels (to be measured by questions in the British Crime Survey) to achieve a 60 per cent. national average by 2012.

Police Act 1997/Data Protection Act 1998

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when he plans to bring into force  (a) section 112 of the Police Act 1997 and  (b) section 56 of the Data Protection Act 1998;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received regarding the unavailability of a basic disclosure service from the Criminal Records Bureau.

David Hanson: holding answer 14 September 2009
	Section 56 of the Data Protection Act 1998 will not fully come into force until Section 112 of Part V of the Police Act 1997, which relates to Basic Disclosures, is commenced for England and Wales. In its 2009-10 Business Plan, the CRB have committed to research how it can implement a Basic Disclosure service.
	There are no records held of any recent representations made to the Home Office regarding the unavailability of Basic Disclosures.

Police Custody: Death

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have died in police custody in each year since 1990; and in respect of how many such deaths the coroner's court returned a verdict of  (a) accidental death,  (b) death by misadventure,  (c) unlawful killing,  (d) open verdict and  (e) another verdict in each such year.

David Hanson: holding answer 9 September 2009
	The Home Office was responsible for publishing statistics relating to death following police contact which included the verdict from any coroner's inquest until 31 March 2004. Since 1 April 2004 the Independent Police Complaints Commission has been responsible for the collation and publication of such data.
	The statistics between 1990-2000 are contained within Police Complaints and Discipline Bulletins and separately from 1997 on the Home Office and IPCC websites.

Police: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what qualifications relevant to his appointment the Chief Constable of Essex Police holds; what his career in the Police Service has been to date; what process was followed in his appointment; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: holding answer 9 September 2009
	Jim Barker-McCardle, brings extensive policing experience and a strong track record to the role of chief constable of Essex.
	He joined the police in 1981 serving in a number of uniform and detective roles in Kent. He rose to the rank of assistant chief constable in 1999 and was subsequently the deputy chief constable of Kent Police. He was most recently Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer of the National Policing Improvement Agency.
	Chief Constables are appointed by police authorities subject to the approval of the Home Secretary and to police regulations.
	An open competition is held by the Police Authority, who consider the suitability of candidates supported by reports from the applicant's chief constable (where they are not already at this rank), and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.

Police: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what payments to  (a) the current and  (b) each previous Chief Constable of Essex Police (i) have been made during each of the last three years and (ii) are planned for each of the next two years.

David Hanson: holding answer 9 September 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 February 2009,  Official Report, column 687W which referred to Home Office circulars on chief constable pay. The salary for the chief constable of Essex is currently £144,510
	It is for police authorities to determine other payments to chief officers in accordance with legislative requirements.

Territorial Waters

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vessels of  (a) the UK Border Agency and  (b) the Royal Navy were on patrol in UK territorial waters on average at any one time for the purposes of the interception of (i) illegal immigration and (ii) drug smuggling in the latest period for which information is available.

Alan Johnson: The UK Border Agency operates five offshore patrol ships in UK territorial waters and adjacent seas. These ships provide operational coverage for 365 days a year. Smaller craft (Rigid Hull inflatable boats) can also be deployed from the patrol ships and are capable of operating independently.
	UK Border Agency vessels work regularly in support of operations by other agencies including the Royal Navy.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding for aid for Afghanistan has been  (a) committed and  (b) spent by his Department since 2001.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) publishes future programme allocations and out-turn expenditure figures each year in its annual report which is available in the Library of the House and on the DFID website at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk

Overseas Aid: Education

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much and what percentage of its budget his Department spent on overseas education projects in each year since 1997.

Michael Foster: Details of the Department for International Development's (DFID) expenditure in the education sector is published annually in Statistics on International Development, which is available online at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	The relevant figures are reproduced as follows:
	
		
			  DFID bilateral expenditure and imputed multilateral expenditure on the education sector and as a proportion of totals, 1997-98 to 2008- 09  (£000) 
			   DFID bilateral expenditure  Percentage of total DFID bilateral expenditure  DFID imputed multilateral share  Percentage of total imputed multilateral share 
			 1997-98 139,550 13 51,151 9 
			 1998-99 144,592 12 69,152 7 
			 1999-2000 121,975 9 31,406 4 
			 2000-01 162,678 10 64,831 6 
			 2001-02 128,485 10 39,346 4 
			 2002-03 179,963 10 55,594 5 
			 2003-04 222,281 11 72,078 6 
			 2004-05 286,269 13 67,329 5 
			 2005-06 314,491 12 65,724 5 
			 2006-07 372,775 13 104,194 6 
			 2007-08 350,603 12 117,441 6 
			 2008-09 450,973 14 - - 
		
	
	Details are not yet available for DFID imputed multilateral share 2008-09.

Scotland

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department plans to make a submission to the Scottish Executive's National Conversation consultation on Scotland's constitutional future.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not submitted evidence to the Scottish Government's National Conversation. The Department did, however, submit evidence to the Commission on Scottish Devolution during its first phase of evidence gathering.

JUSTICE

Children: Remand in Custody

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children were detained in custody with adults in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of young people under 18 years old who have been required to share accommodation with adults is not collected centrally.
	Young people are not routinely required to share accommodation with adults. They will only do so in a small number of cases where there are exceptional circumstances, such as the need to manage disruptive and violent behaviour, and where this is considered to be the preferred course of action.

Community Orders: Publicity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been placed on the high visibility payback scheme in each of the last 12 months.

Jack Straw: Distinctive high visibility jackets have been worn by offenders sentenced to Community Payback since December 2008. The number of work projects on which distinctive clothing is used and the number of hours worked by offenders wearing distinctive clothing is monitored by the National Management of Offender Service. The number of offenders allocated to high visibility Community Payback work projects is not recorded. This is because the existing data provides a clear indication of the proportion of work undertaken in probation areas using distinctive clothing. The number of Community Payback work projects on which distinctive high visibility clothing was worn by offenders and the number of hours worked on these sites since December 2008 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Month  Number of projects operated  Number of hours worked 
			 December 2,560 210,974 
			 January 2,538 321,853 
			 February 2,422 326,618 
			 March 2,938 401,680 
			 April to June 6,822 1,177,176 
		
	
	In the year April 2008 to March 2009 over 62,000 offenders successfully completed Community Payback sentences and approximately 8.4 million hours were worked.

Community Orders: Publicity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people who have been placed on the high visibility payback scheme have not completed the scheme.

Jack Straw: In the period April to June 2009 75.3 per cent. of offenders sentenced to Community Payback successfully completed their sentences. All community sentences are rigorously enforced and following more than one absence without good reason, National Standards require that offenders are returned to court. If there is wilful refusal to comply with the sentence, the court may impose a prison sentence. Offenders may fail to complete their sentences for a number of reasons, including revocation of the Community Payback sentence and the imposition of an alternative sentence following failure to comply, revocation as a result of illness, or revocation following the imposition of a custodial sentence for other offences.
	Information relating to successful completion of sentences by offenders allocated to high visibility work sites is not available separately from the overall successful completion rate for offenders sentenced to Community Payback, not all of whom will have been allocated exclusively to high visibility work sites.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of the funds made available by the Criminal Injuries Board has been paid to  (a) UK,  (b) EU and  (c) other citizens in each of the last three years; and if he will take steps to ensure that the country of origin and residence of those individuals who have received Criminal Injuries Compensation are (i) recorded and (ii) made available to the public.

Claire Ward: Eligibility to apply for compensation under the criminal injuries compensation scheme (CICS) is open to blameless victims of violent crime occurring in Great Britain, regardless of their nationality. Accordingly, as an applicant's nationality has no bearing on the assessment of his/her application for compensation, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), which administers the CICS, does not maintain statistics on the citizenship of compensation applicants. The information sought is not therefore available and for the same reason CICA has no plans to record this information.

Dangerous Dogs Act 1991: Convictions

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) prosecutions were brought and  (b) convictions were secured for offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in each local authority area in the North West in each of the last five years.

Claire Ward: Information showing the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act in the north-west region by police force area from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) is shown in the following table. The Ministry of Justice do not centrally collect data by local authority area.
	Data for 2008 will be available towards the end of 2009.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act in the north-west region, by force, 2003 to 2007( 1,2) 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			  Force  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Cheshire 25 15 7 14 20 16 11 2 8 16 
			 Cumbria 16 18 17 24 24 11 13 12 18 12 
			 Greater Manchester 65 53 56 60 60 48 33 40 45 44 
			 Lancashire 28 27 31 41 40 16 11 18 28 25 
			 Merseyside 17 25 18 18 40 5 14 12 8 27 
			
			 North-west region 151 138 129 157 184 96 82 84 107 124 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Evidence and Analysis Unit, Ministry of Justice

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much the Probation Service has spent on information technology since May 1997.

Maria Eagle: It is not possible to answer the question without incurring disproportionate cost as it would be necessary to request information from each of the 34 local area probation boards and eight probation trusts that make up the current National Probation Service (NPS). Furthermore, the NPS was established on 1 April 2001 as a central government service and prior to this it was a local authority service that was organised on a different basis.

Elections: Costs

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance has been produced on whether the office and staffing costs of hon. Members, as Members of Parliament are included in the new pre-candidacy election spending limit.

Michael Wills: Section 21 of the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 introduces pre-candidacy limits on individuals' election expenses where a general election is held after 55 months of a Parliament have elapsed. The pre-candidacy spending limit will operate in the same way as the limit on post-dissolution candidate expenses. In order to be regulated by either limit, spending must be: (i) used during the relevant regulated period; (ii) on one of the matters listed in part 1 of Schedule 4A of the Representation of the People Act 1983; and (iii) used for the purposes of the individual's election.
	The Electoral Commission has produced initial guidance on candidate expenses should the next UK parliamentary election be held in 2010, when the pre-candidacy spending limit would operate. The Commission is seeking feedback on that initial guidance and intends to publish final guidance in December 2009.
	Staff and office costs incurred by hon. Members' in respect of their parliamentary duties are not for the purposes of election and therefore would not be counted against the spending limit.

Electronic Communications

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were  (a) prosecuted for and  (b) convicted of each offence relating to the illegal use of electronic communications media in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Ward: Information showing the number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under the 1990 Computer Misuse Act in England and Wales from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) is shown in the following table. Data for 2008 will be available towards the end of 2009.
	
		
			  Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, England and Wales, 2003-07( 1, 2) 
			2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  Offence  Statute  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 Unauthorised access to computer material. Section 1 7 1 5 3 5 4 7 4 8 3 
			 Unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences. Section 2 9 3 6 2 11 7 5 4 2 - 
			 Unauthorised acts with intent to impair, or with recklessness as to impairing, operation of computer etc Section 3 and 3A 3 1 10 7 8 5 13 10 9 7 
			 Total  19 5 21 12 24 16 25 18 19 10 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Evidence and Analysis unit-Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Fines: Surcharges

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which organisations in each county have received grants made from the Victims Fund containing the surcharge on fines pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Surcharge) (No. 2) Order 2007.

Claire Ward: The following organisations have received funding from the Victims Fund for third sector organisations supporting victims of sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse; homicide and hate crime.
	
		
			  2007-08  Sexual Abuse/violence  Homicide  Hate Crime 
			 National CIS'ters - - 
			  Voice UK - - 
			  Survivors UK - - 
			 London Respond Victims of Crime Trust Greenwich Action Committee Against Racial Attacks 
			  One-in-Four Victim Support London Stonewall 
			  Lilith Project Eaves Housing  Hounslow Community Safety Partnership 
			  Step Forward - - 
			  Galop - - 
			 East Midlands Derbyshire Rape Crisis  Northamptonshire Hate Crime Forum 
			  Nottingham Rape Crisis - - 
			  Sexual abuse and Incest Line (SAIL) - - 
			  Northamptonshire Rape and Incest Crisis - - 
			  Crisis Point - - 
			  Walsall Street Teams (The Jigsaw Project) - - 
			 West Midlands Sexual and Domestic Abuse and Rape Advise Centre (SARAC) - - 
			  Worcestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre - - 
			  Coventry Rape Crisis - - 
			  The Rape and Sexual Abuse Violence Project (Birmingham) - - 
			 North East, Humberside and Yorkshire Women's Support Network National Victim's Association Kirklees Safer Communities Partnership 
			  Redcar and Cleveland Women's Aid Victim Support and Witness Service Inclusion North 
			  Bradford Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Survivors Service SAMM South Yorkshire Bradford Hate Crime Allowance 
			  Doncaster Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre West Yorkshire Police - 
			  Grimsby and Scunthorpe Rape Crisis - - 
			  Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service - - 
			 North West Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre Cheshire and Merseyside (Previously Warrington Rape Crisis) Greater Manchester Police Liverpool Culture Company 
			  Manchester Rape Crisis SAMM Merseyside Rochdale Borough Council 
			  - - Victim Support Greater Manchester 
			 South East and East RASAC- Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Service (Winchester) Barnardos North Herts People First 
			  SurvivorsNetwork Victim Support Bedfordshire Bedfordshire Hate Crime Partnership 
			  Southampton Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre The Child Bereavement Trust Partnership Community Safety Team 
			  No Limits - Victim Support Kent 
			  South Essex Rape and Crisis Centre (SERICC) - Gender Identity Research and Education Society 
			  HEAL (Helping Everyone Abused Live) - BMEYPP 
			  Colchester Rape Crisis Line - - 
			 South West WomanKind (Bristol Women's Therapy Centre) Winston's Wish The Intercom Trust 
			  Survivors Swindon - - 
			  Plymouth Rape and Sexual Abuse Line - - 
			  Twelve's Company - - 
			  Womens Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre Cornwall (WRASAC) - - 
			 Wales New Pathways - - 
			  Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (North Wales) - - 
			 2008-09 Sexual Abuse/violence Homicide Hate Crime 
			 National CIS'ters Child Bereavement Charity Voice UK 
			  Voice UK - - 
			  Survivors UK - - 
			 London Respond Victims of Crime Trust Greenwich Action Committee Against Racial Attacks 
			  One-in-Four - - 
			  Lilith Project Eaves Housing - - 
			  Step Forward - - 
			  Galop - - 
			 East Midlands Derbyshire Rape Crisis - - 
			  Nottingham Rape Crisis - - 
			  Sexual abuse and Incest Line (SAIL) - - 
			  Northamptonshire Rape and Incest Crisis - - 
			  Crisis Point - - 
			  Walsall Street Teams (The Jigsaw Project) - - 
			 West Midlands Sexual and Domestic Abuse and Rape Advise Centre (SARAC) . - - 
			  Worcestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre - - 
			  Coventry Rape Crisis - - 
			  The Rape and Sexual Abuse   
			  Violence Project (Birmingham)   
			 North East, Humberside and Yorkshire Women's Support Network National Victim's Association Kirklees Metropolitan Council 
			  Redcar and Cleveland Women's Aid - West Yorkshire Police 
			  Bradford Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Survivors Service - Victim Support Teesside 
			  Doncaster Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre - - 
			  Grimsby and Scunthorpe Rape Crisis - - 
			  Sheffield Women's Counselling and Therapy Service - - 
			 North West Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre Cheshire and Merseyside (Previously Warrington Rape Crisis) SAMM Merseyside Greater Manchester Police - Bury Division 
			  Manchester Rape Crisis   
			 South East and East RASAC- Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Service (Winchester) Victim Support Bedfordshire North Herts People First 
			  SurvivorsNetwork - Gender Identity Research and Education Society 
			  Southampton Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre - - 
			  No Limits - - 
			  South Essex Rape and Crisis Centre (SERICC) - - 
			  HEAL (Helping Everyone Abused Live) - - 
			  Colchester Rape Crisis Line - - 
			 South West WomanKind (Bristol Women's Therapy Centre) - - 
			  Survivors Swindon - - 
			  Plymouth Rape and Sexual Abuse Line - - 
			  Twelve's Company - - 
			  Womens Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre Cornwall (WRASAC) - - 
			 Wales New Pathways - - 
			  Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (North Wales) - - 
			 2009-10 Sexual Abuse/violence Homicide Hate Crime 
			 National CIS'ters - - 
			  Voice UK - - 
			  Survivors UK - - 
			 London Respond Damilola Taylor Trust Community Security Trust 
			  One-in-Four  Stonewall 
			  Lilith Project Eaves Housing  Age Concern Camden 
			  Step Forward - - 
			  Galop - - 
			 East Midlands Derbyshire Rape Crisis - Voice UK (Derby) 
			  Nottingham Rape Crisis - - 
			  Sexual abuse and Incest Line (SAIL) - - 
			  Northamptonshire Rape and Incest Crisis - - 
			  Crisis Point - - 
			  Walsall Street Teams (The Jigsaw Project) - - 
			 West Midlands Sexual and Domestic Abuse and Rape Advise Centre (SARAC) - - 
			  Worcestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre - - 
			  Coventry Rape Crisis - - 
			  The Rape and Sexual Abuse Violence Project (Birmingham) - - 
			 North East, Humberside and Yorkshire Women's Support Network National Victim's Association Stop Hate UK (Leeds) 
			  Redcar and Cleveland Women's Aid - Royal Mencap Society (Kirklees Involvement Network) 
			  Bradford Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Survivors Service - - 
			  Doncaster Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre - - 
			  Grimsby and Scunthorpe s Rape Crisis - - 
			  Sheffield Women's Counselling and - - 
			  Therapy Service - - 
			 North West Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre Cheshire and Merseyside (Previously Warrington Rape Crisis) SAMM Merseyside - 
			  Manchester Rape Crisis - - 
			 South East and East RASAC- Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Service (Winchester) Mothers Against Murder and Aggression Gender Identity Research and Education Society (Surrey) 
			  SurvivorsNetwork - North Herts People First 
			  Southampton Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre - Redbridge Equalities and Community Council (Essex) 
			  No Limits - - 
			  South Essex Rape and Crisis Centre (SERICC) - - 
			  HEAL (Helping Everyone Abused Live) - - 
			  Colchester Rape Crisis Line - - 
			 South West WomanKind (Bristol Women's Therapy Centre) Winston's Wish - 
			  Survivors Swindon Advocacy after Fatal Domestic Abuse - 
			  Plymouth Rape and Sexual Abuse Line - - 
			  Twelve's Company - - 
			  Womens Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre - - 
			  Cornwall (WRASAC) - - 
			 Wales New Pathways - Torfaen People First (South Wales) 
			  Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (North Wales) - -

Fines: Surcharges

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been raised by the surcharge on fines, pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Surcharge) (No. 2) Order 2007 in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009.

Claire Ward: The following table shows the total annual receipts from the Victim Surcharge from 1 April 2007. Receipts for 2009 are not yet available.
	
		
			   £ million 
			  Date  Receipts 
			 2007-08 3.8 
			 2008-09 8

Magistrates: Diversity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent to increase diversity among magistrates in each of the last three years.

Jack Straw: 101 local advisory committees recruit and select magistrates in England and Wales. Recruitment funding is provided on the basis of local need and the committees are encouraged to target recruitment at under-represented groups in their areas. The Ministry of Justice also funds the Magistrates' Shadowing Scheme, run by Operation Black Vote, which aims to promote ethnic diversity among Magistrates. The following amounts have been spent on recruitment funding and the Shadowing Scheme in each of the last three financial years:
	2006-07 Recruitment: £89,945 Shadowing Scheme £90,000
	2007-08 Recruitment: £214,738 Shadowing Scheme £70,000
	2008-09 Recruitment: £187,677 Shadowing Scheme £70,000

National Offender Management Service

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what timetable he has now set for the appointment of directors of offender management in  (a) the regions of England and  (b) in Wales.

Maria Eagle: HM Prison Service has had 13 area managers who have been responsible for the prisons within those areas and then regional offender managers were appointed in 11 areas who dealt with both prisons and probation areas. In 2008, two areas, London and Wales, piloted the new approach of a director of offender management.
	It was decided to extend this to the other areas and an advert for the remaining nine director level posts was launched in November 2008. Appointments were made in eight of the nine regions in England and the one in Wales. The successful candidates took up post in late March and during April 2009.
	There is currently an interim appointment in place in the North East. This post is due to be advertised in September with a view to filling it substantively by the end of the calendar year.

Prison Sentences

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many indeterminate sentences for public protection have been handed down in each  (a) region and  (b) police force area in each year since their inception.

Claire Ward: The requested information is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Persons sentenced to IPP's by region and year, 2005-07, England and Wales 
			  Number of persons 
			  Region  2005  2006  2007 
			 London 29 208 290 
			 North West 95 269 298 
			 North East 71 241 264 
			 Midlands 44 139 198 
			 Eastern 47 178 193 
			 South East 60 215 272 
			 South West 28 100 86 
			 Wales 52 98 106 
			 Total 426 1,448 1,707 
			  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: OMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			  Persons sentenced to IPP's by force and year, 2005-07, England and Wales 
			  Number of persons 
			  Force  2005  2006  2007 
			 Avon and Somerset 2 34 25 
			 Bedfordshire 7 11 18 
			 Cambridgeshire 3 18 27 
			 Cheshire 23 33 30 
			 Cleveland 4 17 13 
			 Cumbria 5 6 8 
			 Derbyshire 5 25 25 
			 Devon and Cornwall 5 22 19 
			 Dorset 5 15 17 
			 Durham 5 10 14 
			 Essex 14 33 25 
			 Gloucestershire 4 17 15 
			 Greater Manchester 42 135 157 
			 Hampshire 12 55 45 
			 Hertfordshire 6 16 22 
			 Humberside 10 12 27 
			 Kent 1 32 46 
			 Lancashire 14 39 54 
			 Leicestershire 9 23 32 
			 Lincolnshire 4 14 10 
			 Merseyside 11 56 49 
			 Metropolitan Police 29 208 290 
			 Norfolk 3 18 16 
			 North Yorkshire 5 16 23 
			 Northamptonshire 5 17 19 
			 Northumbria 9 71 55 
			 Nottinghamshire 11 45 47 
			 South Yorkshire 19 60 54 
			 Staffordshire 4 23 26 
			 Suffolk 7 18 17 
			 Surrey 2 9 25 
			 Sussex 3 20 22 
			 Thames Valley 15 39 69 
			 Warwickshire 3 12 17 
			 West Mercia 9 19 27 
			 West Midlands 28 85 128 
			 West Yorkshire 19 55 78 
			 Wiltshire 12 12 10 
			 Dyfed-Powys 10 11 10 
			 Gwent 6 11 24 
			 North Wales 7 13 19 
			 South Wales 29 63 53 
			 Total 426 1,448 1,707 
			  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: OMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice

Prisoner Escapes

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) successful and  (b) unsuccessful attempts were made to escape from HM Prison Lancaster since June 2007.

Maria Eagle: There have been no successful escapes or unsuccessful escape attempts from HMP Lancaster since June 2007. Escapes from prison have been falling for over a decade and 2008-09 saw the lowest level of prison escapes since records began.
	Figures on escapes and a range of other prison performance statistics are available at:
	http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/abouttheservice/prisonperformance/performancestatistics

Prisoners

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners held on their own in cells designed for more than one prisoner have been assessed as  (a) high risk and  (b) very high risk.

Claire Ward: The Cell Sharing Risk Assessment process provides a risk category of low, medium or high risk to prisoners when they enter custody. The category 'very high risk' is not used. Data is not held centrally on the number of prisoners allocated to each category.

Prisoners: Pay

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the average weekly rate of unemployment pay paid in each prison in England and Wales was in 2008;
	(2)  what the standard rate of weekly prisoner pay for each job or other purposeful activity was in each prison in England and Wales in 2008.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is not centrally available and could be collated only by manual checking with individual establishments, which would incur disproportionate cost. However, Prison Service Order 4460 (Prisoners' Pay), a copy of which has been placed in the House Library, sets out minimum rates of prisoner pay which includes allowance levels for unemployment and for work (enabling prisoners to obtain life skills), education and other duties or activities. The PSO sets a minimum unemployed rate of £2.50 per week and an employed rate of pay of £4.00 per week. However Governors have devolved authority to set rates of pay for their particular establishment and these will reflect the particular regime priorities of their establishment.

Prisoners: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) women and  (b) men with a home address in Wales were serving custodial sentences in each prison outside Wales at the latest date for which figures are available; and what lengths of sentence such prisoners were serving.

Maria Eagle: The following tables show the total number of sentenced females (table A) and sentenced males (table B) with a home address in Wales who are held in a prison in England as of May 2009. The tables include the sentences these prisoners are serving and in which prisons in England they are held.
	The figures in both tables include sentenced juveniles and young offenders.
	Home area is taken as a prisoner's home address. If no home address is recorded the court of first committal is used as a proxy address for recording purposes.
	
		
			  Table A 
			  Prison  Less than 6 months  6 months to less than 12 months  12 months to less than 4 years  4 years or over  Total 
			 Askham Grange - - 1 2 3 
			 Bronzefield - - 1 1 2 
			 Downview - 2 6 1 9 
			 Drake Hall 1 3 10 3 17 
			 East Sutton Park 1 - - 3 4 
			 Eastwood Park 19 9 27 6 61 
			 Foston Hall - 1 4 6 11 
			 Holloway - - - 1 1 
			 Low Newton - - 1 2 3 
			 Morton Hall - - - 1 1 
			 New Hall - 1 1 2 4 
			 Peterborough - - 1 1 2 
			 Send 1 2 8 11 22 
			 Styal 1 2 7 6 16 
			 Total 23 20 67 46 156 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B 
			  Prison  Less than 6 months  6 months to less than 12 months  12 months to less than 4 years  4 years or over  Total 
			 Acklington - - 1 4 5 
			 Albany  - - 19 19 
			 Altcourse 43 29 150 89 311 
			 Ashfield 3 8 17 2 30 
			 Ashwell - - - 3 3 
			 Aylesbury - - - 10 10 
			 Bedford - - - 2 2 
			 Birmingham - 1 1 2 4 
			 Blundeston - - - 3 3 
			 Brinsford - 1 2 1 4 
			 Bristol - - 4 - 4 
			 Brixton - - - 1 1 
			 Buckley Hall - - 1 6 7 
			 Bullingdon - - 1 4 5 
			 Camp Hill - - 2 2 4 
			 Canterbury - - 8 1 9 
			 Channings Wood - 1 42 54 97 
			 Coldingley - - 2 - 2 
			 Dartmoor - 1 24 49 74 
			 Deerbolt - - 1 - 1 
			 Doncaster - - - 1 1 
			 Dorchester - 1 1 - 2 
			 Dovegate - - 3 50 53 
			 Elmley - - 1 3 4 
			 Erlestoke - - 21 52 73 
			 Everthorpe - - - 2 2 
			 Exeter - - 2 3 5 
			 Featherstone - - 4 10 14 
			 Ford - - 3 1 4 
			 Forest Bank - - 1 1 2 
			 Frankland - - - 23 23 
			 Full Sutton - - - 15 15 
			 Garth - - 1 39 40 
			 Gartree - - - 14 14 
			 Glen Parva - - 4 1 5 
			 Gloucester 2 - 7 4 13 
			 Grendon - - - 4 4 
			 Guys Marsh - 1 27 32 60 
			 Haverigg - - 6 9 15 
			 Hewell - - 5 7 12 
			 Highdown - - 2 3 5 
			 Highpoint - - 1 4 5 
			 Hindley - 1 1 - 2 
			 Hollesley Bay - - - 1 1 
			 Hull - - - 1 1 
			 Huntercombe - - 2 - 2 
			 Kennet 1 1 13 7 22 
			 Kingston - - - 9 9 
			 Kirkham - - 6 9 15 
			 Kirklevington Grange - - - 1 1 
			 Lancaster - - 1 - 1 
			 Lancaster Farms - - 1 2 3 
			 Leyhill - - 8 26 34 
			 Lincoln - - - 1 1 
			 Lindholme - - - 4 4 
			 Littlehey - - 1 9 10 
			 Liverpool - 2 5 3 10 
			 Long Lartin - - - 11 11 
			 Lowdham Grange - - 2 4 6 
			 Maidstone - - 1 1 2 
			 Manchester - 3 - 1 4 
			 Moorland - - - 2 2 
			 Mount - - - 1 1 
			 North Sea Camp - - 1 1 2 
			 Northallerton - - 1 - 1 
			 Norwich - - 2 - 2 
			 Onley - - 2 - 2 
			 Parkhurst - - - 4 4 
			 Peterborough - 1 2 - 3 
			 Portland - - 9 3 12 
			 Preston - - - 1 1 
			 Ranby - - - 2 2 
			 Risley - - 21 29 50 
			 Rye Hill - - - 26 26 
			 Shepton Mallet - - - 12 12 
			 Shrewsbury 1 - 1 1 3 
			 Spring Hill - - 1 2 3 
			 Stafford - 1 7 8 16 
			 Stocken - - 2 10 12 
			 Stoke Heath 13 19 31 8 71 
			 Sudbury - - - 6 6 
			 Swaleside - - - 11 11 
			 Swinfen Hall - - 5 18 23 
			 Thorn Cross - 2 7 1 10 
			 Verne - - 2 7 9 
			 Wakefield - - - 41 41 
			 Wandsworth - - 2 4 6 
			 Warren Hill - - 2 - 2 
			 Wayland - - - 3 3 
			 Wealstun - - 1 - 1 
			 Wellingborough - - - 4 4 
			 Werrington - 2 1 - 3 
			 Wetherby - - - 1 1 
			 Whatton - - 2 13 15 
			 Whitemoor - - - 3 3 
			 Winchester - - - 1 1 
			 Wolds - - 1 2 3 
			 Woodhill - - - 1 1 
			 Wymott - 1 20 25 46 
			 Total 63 76 509 871 1,519

Prisons: Manpower

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison officers at each  (a) prison and  (b) young offender institution have been suspended in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many of those suspended were subsequently (i) convicted of an offence, (ii) disciplined and (iii) dismissed.

Maria Eagle: The disciplinary process in the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), including authority for suspending staff from duty, is devolved to a local level.
	While historical information concerning the outcome of formal disciplinary cases is held centrally within NOMS, these records do not indicate whether or not the member of staff concerned was suspended from duty during the course of the disciplinary proceedings. A summary of the numbers of centrally recorded dismissals and other disciplinary penalties for each of the last five years is provided in the following table:
	
		
			   2004-05( 1)  2005-06( 1)  2006-07( 1)  2007-08( 1)  2008-09( 1)  Total 
			 Dismissal 73 80 88 44 32 317 
			 Other penalty 223 311 360 254 222 1,370 
			 Total 296 391 448 298 254 1,687 
			 (1) Covers the period 1 September through 31 August 2009. 
		
	
	Information about staff suspensions has only been recorded centrally since October 2007. In order to provide the detailed information requested, we would need to contact all public sector Prison Service establishments and ask them to check their paper records. This would incur disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Violence

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) prisoner-on-prisoner and  (b) prisoner-on-staff assaults involving weapons of each type there were in 2008.

Claire Ward: The administrative IT system holding this data is currently being reconfigured and I therefore will write with the information as soon as possible.

Probation

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of offenders under probation supervision were  (a) in employment and  (b) living in settled and suitable accommodation at the end of their order or licence (i) in total and (ii) in each of the smallest geographical areas for which figures are available in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The figures requested are available for 2008-09 and 2009-10 only and are shown in tables.
	Employment is known to be a key factor in helping to reduce re-offending. The Government's aim therefore is to improve the quantity and quality of offender learning to provide more offenders with the skills and motivation to turn away from crime, improve their employability, and become productive members of society.
	NOMS is actively engaging with employers to create employment opportunities for offenders both in prison and on release. The Government are committed to expanding this programme significantly.
	The Government recognise the contribution that having a stable home makes to the rehabilitation of offenders and the reduction of re-offending. The National Offender Management Service is working in partnership with other Government Departments, local authorities and housing providers to deliver public service agreement (PSA) 16, which includes a commitment to raising the proportion of offenders under the supervision of the probation service that are in suitable and stable accommodation at the end of their supervision.
	Performance against employment targets in 2009-10 has shown a decline compared to 2008-09, but this must be seen in the context of the economic downturn. The current economic climate has exacerbated the disadvantages already faced by offenders in the jobs market. However, we remain committed to maximising employment opportunities for offenders and we are working with probation areas to ensure they retain their focus on performance.
	
		
			  Table 1: Offenders in employment at termination of order/licence 2008-09 
			  Probation area  Number of offenders in employment  Number of terminations (orders and licences)  Percentage in employment  Target (percentage) 
			 Avon and Somerset 713 1,714 42 40 
			 Bedfordshire 405 781 52 40 
			 Cambridgeshire 276 543 51 40 
			 Cheshire 666 1,389 48 40 
			 Cumbria 325 639 51 40 
			 Derbyshire 595 1,259 47 40 
			 Devon and Cornwall 627 1,518 41 40 
			 Dorset 449 879 51 42 
			 Durham 534 1,175 45 40 
			 Dyfed Powys 313 668 47 40 
			 Essex 1,040 1,963 53 40 
			 Gloucestershire 568 1,180 48 40 
			 Greater Manchester 2,856 6,670 43 40 
			 Gwent 404 914 44 40 
			 Hampshire 1,105 2,239 49o 40 
			 Hertfordshire 666 1,153 58 40 
			 Humberside 717 1,725 42 40 
			 Kent 1,198 2,466 49 40 
			 Lancashire 1,175 2,713 43 40 
			 Leicestershire 829 1,633 51 40 
			 Lincolnshire 397 777 51 40 
			 London 3,015 7,896 38 40 
			 Merseyside 1,001 2,713 37 40 
			 Norfolk 270 738 37 40 
			 North Wales 335 730 46 40 
			 North Yorkshire 429 817 53 40 
			 Northamptonshire 412 838 49 40 
			 Northumbria 780 1,809 43 40 
			 Nottinghamshire 672 1,690 40 40 
			 South Wales 511 1,551 33 40 
			 South Yorkshire 756 1,944 39 40 
			 Staffordshire 818 1,658 49 40 
			 Suffolk 334 732 46 40 
			 Surrey 469 850 55 40 
			 Sussex 865 1,773 49 40 
			 Teesside 423 1,363 31 40 
			 Thames Valley 1,170 2,183 54 40 
			 Warwickshire 335 663 51 40 
			 West Mercia 663 1,359 49 40 
			 West Midlands 2,205 5,518 40 40 
			 West Yorkshire 1,218 2,782 44 40 
			 Wiltshire 365 685 53 45 
			 National total 32,904 74,290 44 40 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Offenders in employment at termination of order/licence 2009-10 (April-July) 
			  Probation area  Number of offenders in employment  Number of terminations (orders and licences)  Percentage in employment  Target (percentage) 
			 Avon and Somerset 214 584 37 40 
			 Bedfordshire 108 227 48 46 
			 Cambridgeshire 94 236 40 46 
			 Cheshire 145 376 39 50 
			 Cumbria 81 197 41 50 
			 Derbyshire 161 409 39 42 
			 Devon and Cornwall 161 385 42 40 
			 Dorset 94 254 37 40 
			 Durham 152 385 39 40 
			 Dyfed Powys 61 174 35 40 
			 Essex 265 569 47 43 
			 Gloucestershire 112 253 44 40 
			 Greater Manchester 1,006 2,630 38 40 
			 Gwent 111 310 36 40 
			 Hampshire 361 823 44 45 
			 Hertfordshire 207 416 50 46 
			 Humberside 179 549 33 40 
			 Kent 260 691 38 50 
			 Lancashire 340 888 38 42 
			 Leicestershire 192 440 44 42 
			 Lincolnshire 84 209 40 46 
			 London 1,298 3,861 34 40 
			 Merseyside 249 802 31 40 
			 Norfolk 69 217 32 40 
			 North Wales 101 280 36 40 
			 North Yorkshire 104 235 44 40 
			 Northamptonshire 137 290 47 42 
			 Northumbria 313 862 36 40 
			 Nottinghamshire 200 513 39 40 
			 South Wales 186 535 35 40 
			 South Yorkshire 205 609 34 40 
			 Staffordshire 215 511 42 45 
			 Suffolk 88 218 40 40 
			 Surrey 140 258 54 40 
			 Sussex 186 438 42 40 
			 Teesside 95 400 24 40 
			 Thames Valley 278 615 45 45 
			 Warwickshire 99 238 42 45 
			 West Mercia 192 482 40 40 
			 West Midlands 736 2,156 34 40 
			 West Yorkshire 379 1,044 36 40 
			 Wiltshire 79 174 45 40 
			 National total 9,737 25,743 38 42 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Offenders in settled and suitable accommodation at termination of order/licence 2008-09 
			  Probation area  Number of offenders in settled and suitable accommodation at termination  Number of terminations of orders and licences  Percentage in settled and suitable accommodation  Target (percentage) 
			 Avon and Somerset 1,495 2,044 73 70 
			 Bedfordshire 729 898 81 75 
			 Cambridgeshire 518 642 81 76 
			 Cheshire 1,314 1,643 80 70 
			 Cumbria 704 837 84 70 
			 Derbyshire 1,256 1,510 83 70 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1,381 1,859 74 70 
			 Dorset 810 1,055 77 70 
			 Durham 1,293 1,554 83 80 
			 Dyfed Powys 648 813 80 80 
			 Essex 1,823 2,314 79 75 
			 Gloucestershire 1,028 1,387 74 70 
			 Greater Manchester 6,597 8,430 78 70 
			 Gwent 859 1,108 78 75 
			 Hampshire 2,036 2,695 76 70 
			 Hertfordshire 1,064 1,332 80 76 
			 Humberside 1,581 2,028 78 70 
			 Kent 2,194 2,850 77 70 
			 Lancashire 2,664 3,342 80 70 
			 Leicestershire 1,523 1,848 82 70 
			 Lincolnshire 778 946 82 70 
			 London 6,089 8,599 71 70 
			 Merseyside 2,704 3,327 81 70 
			 Norfolk 677 893 76 70 
			 North Wales 704 915 77 75 
			 North Yorkshire 720 937 77 70 
			 Northamptonshire 741 950 78 70 
			 Northumbria 2,062 2,494 83 82 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,658 2,072 80 70 
			 South Wales 1,494 2,050 73 70 
			 South Yorkshire 1,833 2,340 78 70 
			 Staffordshire 1,629 2,069 79 70 
			 Suffolk 677 851 80 72 
			 Surrey 772 970 80 74 
			 Sussex 1,661 2,203 75 70 
			 Teesside 1,279 1,659 77 80 
			 Thames Valley 1,944 2,514 77 70 
			 Warwickshire 591 750 79 70 
			 West Mercia 1,229 1,562 79 70 
			 West Midlands 4,854 6,169 79 70 
			 West Yorkshire 2,556 3,223 79 70 
			 Wiltshire 651 821 79 70 
			 National total 68,820 88,503 78 71 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Offenders in settled and suitable accommodation at termination of order/licence 2009-10 (April-July) 
			  Probation area  Number of offenders in settled and suitable accommodation at termination  Number of terminations of orders and licences  Percentage in settled and suitable accommodation  Target (percentage) 
			 Avon and Somerset 479 692 69 71 
			 Bedfordshire 224 260 86 77 
			 Cambridgeshire 208 280 74 77 
			 Cheshire 359 444 81 75 
			 Cumbria 200 243 82 75 
			 Derbyshire 450 524 86 80 
			 Devon and Cornwall 374 497 75 70 
			 Dorset 254 324 78 75 
			 (Durham 431 525 82 82 
			 Dyfed Powys 165 219 75 80 
			 Essex 557 687 81 77 
			 Gloucestershire 245 319 77 73 
			 Greater Manchester 2,654 3,347 79 75 
			 Gwent 310 404 77 75 
			 Hampshire 792 1,000 79 70 
			 Hertfordshire 369 469 79 76 
			 Humberside 510 631 81 73 
			 Kent 611 826 74 70 
			 Lancashire 877 1,095 80 75 
			 Leicestershire 437 504 87 80 
			 Lincolnshire 199 253 79 80 
			 London 2,978 4,247 70 70 
			 Merseyside 820 1,011 81 80 
			 Norfolk 216 272 79 73 
			 North Wales 246 341 72 75 
			 North Yorkshire 218 271 80 73 
			 Northamptonshire 275 325 85 75 
			 Northumbria 951 1,178 81 83 
			 Nottinghamshire 536 673 80 76 
			 South Wales 611 776 79 70 
			 South Yorkshire 549 725 76 75 
			 Staffordshire 529 636 83 75 
			 Suffolk 196 252 78 77 
			 Surrey 256 303 84 75 
			 Sussex 416 546 76 75 
			 Teesside 376 491 77 81 
			 Thames Valley 548 719 76 70 
			 Warwickshire 205 276 74 75 
			 West Mercia 465 563 83 75 
			 West Midlands 1,884 2,431 77 75 
			 West Yorkshire 948 1,207 79 75 
			 Wiltshire 182 211 86 74 
			 National total 24,110 30,997 78 75

Probation : West Yorkshire

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) probation officers and  (b) probation service officers were employed by West Yorkshire Probation Area on 31 March of each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the numbers of Probation Officers and Probation Service Officers in post in the West Yorkshire Probation Area on 31 March in each of the last five financial years:
	
		
			   Probation officers( 1)  Probation service officers( 2) 
			 2003-04 314 307 
			 2004-05 332 302 
			 2005-06 363 276 
			 2006-07 375 294 
			 2007-08(3) 371 272 
			 (1) Probation officer figures include Senior Probation Officers, Senior Practitioners, Practice Development Assessors and Probation Officers. (2) Probation services officers figures include Probation Services Officers and Treatment Managers. (3) The information provided has yet to be made public and may therefore be subject to minor amendment upon publication.  Note: Figures are shown as full time equivalents. 
		
	
	Figures for the year 2008-09 are not yet available.

Prosecutions

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions were commenced under section 123(2) of the Police Act 1997 in the most recent year for which figures are available; and how many such prosecutions resulted in a conviction.

Claire Ward: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for an offence under section 123 of the 1997 Police Act are shown in the table below. Section 123(2) of the 1997 Police Act states that it is an offence to Make a false statement to obtain a criminal record or conviction certificate. Centrally held data do not separately identify under which part of section 123 court proceedings took place.
	Data for 2008 will be available towards the end of 2009.
	
		
			  The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts under section 123 of the Police Act 1997, England and Wales, 2007( 1,2) 
			   Number 
			 Proceeded against 1 
			 Found guilty 1 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform-Evidence and Analysis Unit

Sex Offenders

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what advice, training and support is given to staff in the National Offender Management Service in ensuring that sex offenders operating  (a) in online forums and  (b) in other areas do not pose a danger to children.

Maria Eagle: Probation Officers in the National Offender Management Service are trained to undertake a comprehensive assessment of all sexual offenders prior to sentence, using evidence based assessment tools, including Risk Matrix 2000 which has been designed specifically to assess the likelihood of reconviction for a sexual offence. The assessments are used to create a risk management plan for the offender, and, if online offending was assessed to be likely, this would be addressed in the risk management plan. For the most serious sexual offenders, the risk assessment and risk management will be undertaken within the context of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). Within MAPPA, the Police Probation and Prison Services work together to assess and manage the risks presented by the most serious sexual offenders.
	For sexual offenders subject to licensed release from custody, licence conditions may prohibit them from, for example, using the internet or may exclude them from places where they might pose a risk of harm to children. If they breach their licence conditions, they are liable to be recalled to custody. In addition, the most high risk offenders will be required to reside in approved premises on release from custody. In approved premises, offenders are subject to strict conditions of residence and additional monitoring.
	The National Offender Management Service provides guidance, in the form of prison service orders, instructions and manuals, to prison and probation staff to ensure sex offenders do not pose a danger to children while in custody. In addition, specific training and support is given to staff who deliver sex offender treatment programmes.

Young Offender Institutions

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what disturbances have been reported at  (a) HM Prison Lancaster and  (b) HM Young Offender Institution Lancaster Farms since June 2008.

Maria Eagle: The data in the following table shows the number of disturbance-related incidents recorded on the Prison Service Incident Reporting System from HMP Lancaster and HMPYOI Lancaster Farms between June 2008 and May 2009.
	
		
			  Breakdown of disturbance-related incidents at HMP Lancaster and HMPYOI Lancaster Farms June 2008 to end May 2009 
			  Establishment  Barricade  Concerted indiscipline active  Concerted indiscipline passive  Hostage  Incidents at height 
			 HMP Lancaster 1 0 0 0 0 
			 HMPYOI Lancaster Farms 7 1 2 0 6 
			  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

Young Offenders: Sentencing

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of  (a) 10 to 12,  (b) 13 to 15,  (c) 16 and 17 and  (d) 18 to 20 year olds convicted of a non-violent offence were given a custodial sentence in each year since 1997.

Claire Ward: The requested information is shown in the following table.
	Data for 2008 will become available once 'Sentencing Statistics 2008' is published.
	This data are presented on the principal offence basis, where an offender has been sentenced for more than one offence the principal offence is the one for which the heaviest sentence was imposed, where the same sentence has been imposed for more than one offence the principal offence is the one for which the statutory maximum is most severe.
	
		
			  Percentage of offenders sentenced to immediate custodial sentences for non-violent indictable offences( 1)  1997-2007 
			  Age group  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 10-12 years old 1.00 0.80 1.00 2.50 3.30 1.70 1.30 2.00 1.40 0.90 0.80 
			 13-15 years old 6.90 6.30 6.70 8.20 9.00 9.20 7.90 7.30 6.50 7.10 6.00 
			 16-17 years old 16.90 15.70 15.60 14.60 14.20 14.80 12.90 13.10 12.50 13.00 11.40 
			 18-20 years old 21.60 21.50 21.60 23.20 23.30 23.10 20.90 22.20 22.40 22.50 22.50 
			 (1) Non-violent indictable offences includes all indictable offences not included in the violence against the person offence group. Summary offences have not been included as they are not categorised into violent and non-violent offences.  Source:  OMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems.
	Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

PRIME MINISTER

Diamond Jubilee 2012

Bob Russell: To ask the Prime Minister whether  (a) special (i) coins and (ii) postage stamps will be produced and  (b) the status of city will be awarded to one or more towns to mark in 2012 the 60th anniversary of the accession of Her Majesty The Queen; and what other proposals the Government has to mark the anniversary.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 24 April 2009,  Official Report, column 977W.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister what criteria he used to select the experts appointed to the Iraq inquiry; and what discussions he has had with Sir John Chilcot on the merits of inquiry witnesses giving evidence on oath.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr. Davey) and my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay) on 13 July 2009,  Official Report, column 106W.

Israel: Prime Ministerial Discussions

Harry Cohen: To ask the Prime Minister what sanctions against Iran the Israeli Prime Minister proposed at his recent meeting with him; and what response he made to those proposals.

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister whether he discussed the matter of Israel's possession of nuclear weapons and nuclear disarmament in his meeting with his Israeli counterpart in London on 25 August 2009.

Gordon Brown: I discussed a wide range of issues with Prime Minister Netanyahu. I refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Member to the press conference I held with the Prime Minister on Tuesday 25 August 2009, a transcript is available on the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page20427
	A copy has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Information Commissioner's Operation Motorman

Harry Cohen: To ask the Solicitor-General whether there are plans for further prosecutions arising from the Information Commissioner's Operation Motorman.

Michael Wills: I have been asked to reply 
	as the Minister responsible for the Information Commissioner's Office.
	In 2004, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) brought four prosecutions on behalf of the Metropolitan Police Service for offences related to the unlawful obtaining of personal data using information from the Information Commissioner's Operation Motorman. It has no plans at present to bring further prosecutions.
	The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) also has no plans to pursue further prosecutions as a result of Operation Motorman. This information has been provided by the ICO.
	The Government take matters of data protection very seriously. We keep data protection legislation under constant review to ensure that the framework is adequate and work with the ICO closely to ensure that the Act is working well.

TRANSPORT

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls

Adam Holloway: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether he has made an assessment of the effect on journey times, congestion and pollution at the Dartford River Crossing of the suspension of the tolls in July 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The charges were suspended on 21 July 2009 for about six hours between the busy rush hour periods due to the failure of the crossing's standby generator during the power cut. As the traffic counting systems also failed we have no measure of the traffic flows but staff on site reported light flows below normal expected levels. The operator considered that flows in the area were lighter because a significant part of the local network including shopping centres and businesses did not have power to operate.
	There was some congestion around 10.30am as the systems failed and the operator switched to manual charge collection.
	The crossing was operated manually with staff placed in each lane to control traffic and the additional staffing helped to ensure that there were no significant incidents that would have disrupted traffic in the toll plazas.
	The effect on journey times, congestion and pollution cannot be measured but the light traffic levels combined with additional staffing levels operating the crossing appears to have avoided significant delays and stationary traffic.

London Midland: Standards

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects of the West Coast Main Line infrastructure on London Midland's recent performance.

Paul Clark: London Midland's performance has been affected in recent months by various failures of Network Rail's infrastructure. Joint action plans are in place between Network Rail and London Midland to address these issues, with Network Rail committing additional engineers and trouble shooters during the busiest times of the day at around 20 locations. Network Rail is also accelerating the replacement of less reliable equipment, including points, power and signalling cables. Overall recent performance has improved.

London Midland: Standards

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether he plans to review the level of subsidy provided to London Midland in light of its recent performance.

Paul Clark: There are no plans to review the level of subsidy provided to London Midland in light of its recent performance.

London Midland: Standards

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent assessment he has made of London Midland's ability to meet the terms of its franchise commitments.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport continues to assess London Midland's ability to meet the terms of its franchise commitments. Where an operator does not meet its contractual commitments, the Department follows the processes which are set out in the enforcement policy. A copy of the enforcement policy can be located on the Department's website at
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/archive/2008/rfaandccmain/results.pdf

London-Peterborough Railway Line

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many services on the Peterborough to London rail line were  (a) cancelled,  (b) late and  (c) overcrowded in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not hold the specific information requested. The principal train operating company operating on the East Coast is NXEC (previously GNER). The Department does not hold information on trains cancelled by NXEC/GNER, between Peterborough to London.
	The operator's total cancellations are listed for the last 10 years in the following table:
	
		
			  GNER/NXEC total cancellations 
			   Annual totals 
			 2000 306 
			 2001 1,007 
			 2002 615 
			 2003 736 
			 2004 661 
			 2005 559 
			 2006 546 
			 2007 805 
			 2008 997 
			 2009 625

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Bob Russell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many vehicles in each category were registered with a statutory off road notification classification in each of the last three years.

Paul Clark: The following table shows the number of vehicles by category which were registered as SORN during the last three years.
	
		
			   Cars  Motor cycles  Light goods  Heavy goods  Buses and coaches  All other vehicles  Total 
			 2006 1,055,256 369,659 180,702 35,264 11,394 39,196 1,691,471 
			 2007 1,040,936 392,270 181,817 35,179 11,690 43,008 1,704,900 
			 2008 1,072,025 426,992 197,544 40,795 12,173 47,807 1,797,336 
		
	
	All other vehicles includes vehicles like tractor excavators, forklift trucks, rollers, ambulances, taxis, three wheelers and agricultural vehicles.

Motorway Service Areas

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will publish the valuation his Department made of motorway service areas owned or partly owned by the Government.

Paul Clark: A detailed valuation study of the Government's freehold interest in motorway service areas was commissioned by the Highways Agency in April this year. This is being undertaken by property consultants with specialist sector knowledge and their report is expected in October.

Motorway Service Areas

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which motorway service areas are  (a) wholly and  (b) partially owned by his Department.

Paul Clark: There are 67 Motorway Service Areas (MSA) across the Strategic Road Network in England. The Secretary of State wholly owns the freehold of 20 sites as listed. The Secretary of State has no partial ownership in any MSA.
	Birch
	Birchanger Green
	Burtonwood
	Cherwell Valley
	Clackett Lane
	Corley
	Keele
	Knutsford
	Leicester Forest East
	Membury
	Newport Pagnall
	Northampton
	Sandbach
	Strensham (Northbound)
	Thurrock
	Toddington
	Trowell
	Warwick
	Watford Gap
	Woodall

Public Transport: Internet

Pete Wishart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment he has made of the merits of providing free wifi access on all buses and trains in England.

Paul Clark: No such assessment has been made. The Department for Transport is supportive of the objective of the recent Digital Britain report to provide ubiquitous mobile coverage throughout the transport networks. This is a commercial matter for rail franchisees and bus operators a number of whom have chosen to provide Wifi services to their customers.

Speed Limits: Cameras

James Duddridge: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how long on average elapses between the installation of an average speed camera and it becoming operational; and what percentage of such cameras installed in the last 12 months have not become fully operational within this period.

Paul Clark: This information is not held by the Department for Transport. Since 1 April 2007 the deployment of safety cameras has been the responsibility of individual local road safety partnerships. The partnerships are entirely responsible for the installation and operation of all cameras within their area.

Speed Limits: Cameras

James Duddridge: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of  (a) average and  (b) fixed speed cameras installed in England and Wales on (i) motorways, (ii) A roads and (iii) B roads in the last 12 months.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport does not routinely assess the effectiveness of speed cameras, although the Department's guidance does recommend that speed and collision data are collected by road safety partnerships and the contribution cameras make to casualty reduction monitored and reviewed, at least annually. Cameras that operated under the National Safety Camera programme, which ended on 31 March 2007 proved to be very effective. Fatal casualties reduced by an average of 43 per cent. at fixed camera sites and killed or seriously injured casualties reduced by an average of 51 per cent. At mobile camera sites fatal casualties reduced by 42 per cent. and killed or seriously injured casualties reduced by an average of 22 per cent.

Traffic Management Act 2004

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport on what occasions highways authorities have been found in breach of the duty to ensure the expeditious movement of traffic under the Traffic Management Act 2004 since the legislation came into force.

Paul Clark: Section 20 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 enables the Department for Transport to issue an intervention notice to a local traffic authority in England, giving an opinion that the authority is failing to perform its Network Management Duty under Sections 16 and 17 of the same Act. No such intervention notices have been issued.

Traffic Management Act 2004

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many resurfacing notices have been issued under the Traffic Management Act 2004 since the legislation came into force.

Paul Clark: Currently there is no provision in secondary legislation for street authorities to issue resurfacing notices, consequently none have been issued.

TREASURY

Bankruptcy

Willie Rennie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of bankruptcy claims arising from the application of the provisions of section 58 of the Finance Act 2008;
	(2)  what recent estimate his Department has made of the effect on small businesses of the application of the provisions of section 58 of the Finance Act 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Section 58 of the Finance Act 2008 will apply to a small number of individuals who have used a highly artificial tax avoidance scheme seeking to avoid paying UK tax on their UK income.
	Section 58 clarifies understanding of the law to give taxpayers certainty in completing their tax returns. It puts beyond doubt that the scheme users are chargeable to UK tax on their share of the partnership income. The Government believes its action was entirely justified and fair to the majority of taxpayers.

Banks: Government Assistance

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  which banks have made use of the Guarantee scheme for Asset Backed Securities announced on 19 January 2009 to date;
	(2)  what the monetary value is of the agreements with banks signed under the Guarantee scheme for Asset Backed Securities announced on 19 January 2009.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The ABS guarantee scheme was made available at Budget 2009, extending funding options open to banks and building societies alongside other Government support schemes, including the existing Credit Guarantee scheme. Demand for the guarantees will depend on eligible institutions' access to alternative sources of funding and demand for mortgage credit in the economy.
	A list of eligible instruments guaranteed under the scheme will be made available by the DMO at:
	http://www.dmo.gov.uk

Banks: Government Assistance

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which banks have signed up to final contracts under the Asset Protection scheme announced on 19 January 2009.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The announcements made in February and March set out an in-principle agreement with the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Lloyds Banking Group with regard to their participation in the Asset Protection scheme. These agreements were subject to further due diligence, negotiation on the details of the scheme terms, and state aid and shareholder approval. The final agreements remain under negotiation.

Banks: Loans

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to prevent banks targeting loans and remortgaging packages to people approaching state retirement age.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: For some people approaching state retirement age, mortgages can be an appropriate way of helping to manage their finances. The Government are determined, however, that lenders treat all customers fairly.
	In 2004, the Government extended the scope of Financial Services Authority (FSA) regulation to include mortgages. The FSA's regime requires lenders to treat customers fairly, and offers consumers protection by requiring that, for example, firms satisfy themselves that a mortgage commitment is affordable.
	The FSA publishes guidance for lenders on how they should deal with mortgages that will run into retirement. This guidance is available on the FSA's website at:
	http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pubs/other/mortgage_lender.pdf

Contracts: Goldman Sachs

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many contracts the Government holds with Goldman Sachs Bank; and what the monetary value of such contracts is in 2009-10.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Goldman Sachs were engaged in autumn 2007 to work for HMT on issues surrounding Northern Rock. To date, Goldman Sachs have been paid £3.8 million in respect of this contract. There are no other contracts in place with Goldman Sachs.
	Under the agreement with Northern Rock, certain fees are recoverable and this sum does not therefore represent a net cost to the Treasury.

Council Tax: Scotland

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions  (a) Ministers in his Department,  (b) officials in his Department and  (c) representatives of HM Revenue and Customs have had with (i) Members of the Scottish Parliament and (ii) the Scottish Executive on options for the replacement of council tax in Scotland with a local property tax following the publication of the Burt Review of local Government finance; and if he will make a statement

Ian Pearson: The Burt Review of local government finance in Scotland was commissioned by the Scottish Executive and was a devolved matter.

Departmental Billing

John Mason: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10-days of receipt in June 2009.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury paid 99.84 per cent. of invoices not in dispute within 10-days of receipt in June 2009.

Holiday Homes

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of holiday lets in  (a) North Yorkshire and  (b) England which will be affected by the decision to reclassify income from holiday lets as unearned income;
	(2)  what the revenue to the Exchequer from taxation on holiday lets was in  (a) North Yorkshire and  (b) England in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007 and (iv) 2008.

Stephen Timms: The estimated taxable profit for those who made a net profit on furnished holiday lettings was £90 million, which would be subject to taxation at the marginal rate of the taxpayer. This estimate relates to 2006-07 which is the latest year for which full data is available; estimates for the preceding year are thought to be similar. An impact assessment for the withdrawal of the furnished holiday lets concession will be published at the pre-Budget report, alongside the draft regulations. HM Revenue and Customs do not have information on the number or location of furnished holiday lettings.

Members: Correspondence

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the letter from the right hon. Member for West Derbyshire of 21 April 2009 on Kaupthing Bank and its effect on his constituent, Mr. Stephen Nix.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: A reply has been sent to the right hon. Member.

Mobile Phones

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what HM Revenue and Customs' policy is on finalisation of historic unused credit received by mobile telephone companies from consumers.

Ian Pearson: HM Revenue and Customs' policy is to follow the commercial accounts as prepared under generally accepted accounting practice (GAAP). It is normal accountancy practice as part of GAAP to draw up accounts on the accruals basis. Under this practice, credit purchased by consumers that remains unused and is not repaid is a taxable trade receipt.

Private Finance Initiative

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many private finance initiative contracts have been re-negotiated since September 2008; and whether the public sector liability has increased as a result of such re-negotiations.

Ian Pearson: We are not aware of any PFI contracts which have been re-negotiated since September 2008, this would be a matter for the relevant procuring authority in the first instance.

Public Expenditure: Armed Forces

Ben Wallace: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what payments to the Ministry of Defence have been made out of Treasury reserves to pay for equipment for military operations in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan.

Liam Byrne: Treasury expenditure on the net additional cost of military operations, including equipment, are broken down by theatre in the Ministry of Defence's annual report and accounts. For the most recent 2007-08 accounts the relevant table is listed under Operations and Peacekeeping (RfR2), sub-para 2.3 on page 292.

Public Expenditure: Banks

John Pugh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the proportion of expenditure from the public purse in 2010-11 expected to be spent on Government  (a) loans to and  (b) purchase of equity or shares in banks.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: As set out in Budget 2009, the Government projects that the net effect of financial sector interventions on the central Government net cash requirement (CGNCR) will be zero in 2010-11.

Royal Mail

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on services provided by Royal Mail in each of the last two years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury's spending with the Royal Mail in 2007-08 and 2008-09 was £57,058 and £61,310 respectively.

Scotland

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department plans to make a submission to the Scottish Executive's National Conversation consultation on Scotland's constitutional future.

Liam Byrne: The Treasury has not submitted evidence to the Scottish Government's National Conversation.
	The Commission on Scottish Devolution was established by majority vote in the Scottish Parliament and with the full support of the UK Government. UK Departments submitted evidence to the Commission during its first phase of evidence gathering.
	The Commission recently published its final report, which can be found here:
	http://www.commissiononscottishdevolution.org.uk/uploads/2009-06-12-csd-final-report-2009fbookmarked.pdf
	A Steering Group has been established under the Chairmanship of the Secretary of State for Scotland to help the UK Government and the Scottish Parliament plan how to take forward the Calman recommendations and deliver stronger devolution within a stronger United Kingdom.

Social Security Benefit: Fraud

Anthony Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if HM Revenue and Customs will take steps to investigate instances of suspected benefit fraud perpetrated by EU nationals from former Soviet bloc countries.

Ian Pearson: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) takes all instances of suspected fraud seriously and is stepping up its work in this area. The Department is increasing its use of data matching using information from a wide variety of sources to identify those who attempt to abuse the system. HMRC also shares intelligence and investigates cases jointly with other Government agencies.
	Those who are caught may face prosecution or in less serious cases, being charged a penalty and interest in addition to repaying the amount they defrauded.
	To help prevent fraud from occurring in the first place, child benefit customers must provide HMRC with documentary evidence of the child being claimed for, such as a birth certificate, adoption certificate or passport.
	All claims for child benefit are then subject to a wide range of checks throughout the life of each claim. It would be inappropriate to disclose a complete list as to do so may provide assistance to those attempting to defraud the system.
	Details of suspected benefit fraud can be reported to the National Benefit Fraud Hotline (0800 854 440), the Child Benefit Helpline (0845 302 1444) or the tax credits Helpline (0845 300 3900).

Tax Credit

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many tax credit cases payments have been affected by technical difficulties in the last year for which figures are available; and what the average length of time taken to resolve such cases was.

Stephen Timms: The information is not available. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) works with its IT provider to identify and resolve tax credits claims affected by technical difficulties.
	Where necessary, HMRC maintains affected tax credits claims by sending manual cash cheque payments to its customers. At the end of August 2009, less than 9,500 households' tax credit claims were being processed clerically.

Taxation: Developing Countries

Michael Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to implement the G20 London Summit commitment to develop proposals by the end of 2009 to make it easier for developing countries to secure the benefits of a new co-operative tax environment; and whether discussion of such proposals will be on the agenda for the forthcoming G20 Summit in Pittsburgh.

Ian Pearson: The UK is working with its international partners to drive forward the G20 agenda to ensure that developing countries benefit from the new co-operative tax environment.
	Earlier this month, G20 Finance Ministers lent further support to the proposal that developing countries should benefit from the new tax transparency, possibly through a multilateral instrument for information exchange, which would allow a wider group of countries-including developing countries-to access relevant tax information.
	The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes has agreed to report to the next meeting of G20 Finance Ministers in November on how multilateral tax information exchange agreements (TIEAs) work and what steps are necessary to accelerate full implementation of the international standard on tax information exchange. The UK will be pressing for early implementation of such an instrument. We expect this issue to be discussed at the meeting of G20 Finance Ministers in November.

UK Financial Institutions

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what stakes the Government holds in UK financial institutions; how much each cost to purchase; what the present value of each is; what the earliest date is on which each could be repaid; and on what date it is anticipated each will be repaid.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Details of the Government's market investments in RBS and Lloyds Banking Group, including valuations and the Government's strategy for managing the investments over time, are set out in UK Financial Investments' Annual Report, available at:
	www.ukfi.gov.uk
	Bradford and Bingley and Northern Rock were transferred into public ownership under the Banking (Special Provisions) Act 2008 and independent valuers have been appointed to decide what, if any, compensation is payable to former shareholders.
	Further financial information about the banks in which the Government have a stake is available in the Resource Accounts in the Treasury's Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09, available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/annual_report_2009_full.pdf

UK Financial Investments: Training

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what training courses have been provided to staff of UK Financial Investments since its inception; and at what cost to the public purse.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: UK Financial Investment (UKFI) is a limited company wholly owned by HM Treasury. UKFI's costs are set out in their annual report and accounts, in line with Company's Act reporting requirements and FReM accounting standards. The annual report and accounts can be found on their website at:
	www.ukfi.gov.uk
	UKFI staff have undertaken various training to ensure that staff are well trained to deliver UKFI's remit to manage the Government's shareholdings commercially and create and protect value for the taxpayer as shareholder.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Valuation Office Agency treats bedsits  (a) with and  (b) without self-contained toilet and washroom facilities separately for the purposes of council tax valuations.

Ian Pearson: In deciding whether a property should have a single assessment or several, the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) will consider whether the property contains self-contained units constructed or adapted for use as separate living accommodation.
	Individual flats or bedsits may be allocated their own council tax band, even though some of the facilities and accommodation may be shared with other residents of the same building. The VOA's judgment will depend on the specifics of the property in question and the nature of the occupation.
	Further guidance on the treatment of bedsits for council tax is available at:
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/council_tax/multiple_property.htm
	and
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/publications/public_fact_sheets/self-contained-units.html

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 6 February 2006,  Official Report, column 1036W, on Valuation Office Agency, how many reports of convictions and related offences the Valuation Office Agency has received from the Cabinet Office in respect of its staff each of the last three years.

Stephen Timms: The Valuation Office Agency has received fewer than five reports of convictions and related offences from the Cabinet Office. All reports have been received within the period April to September 2009.

Valuation Office Agency: Publications

Philip Dunne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the referencing guidance and manuals produced by the Valuation Office Agency for the inspection and valuation of  (a) advertising rights and stations and  (b) licensed property.

Stephen Timms: The manuals used by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) are routinely updated to reflect changes and new information. They are published online at:
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/instructions/Index.htm
	The section of the VOA's Rating Manual relevant to advertising rights and stations can be found at:
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/instructions/chapters/rating_manual/vol5/sect20/frame.htm
	Licensed property is covered in the following section of the VOA's Rating Manual:
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/instructions/chapters/rating manual/vol5/sect825/frame.htm

Valuation Office Agency: Publications

Philip Dunne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to page 33 of the Valuation Office Agency's Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09, HC 521, in which six process areas the Agency fell below minimum target standards in its information security high level assessment.

Ian Pearson: The six process areas are those related to the HMG information Assurance Maturity Model and Assessment Framework, specifically:
	Leadership and Governance
	Training, Education and awareness
	Information Risk Management
	Through-Life Information Assurance Measures
	Assured Information Sharing
	Compliance

Valuation Office Agency: Publications

Philip Dunne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to page 33 of the Valuation Office Agency's (VOA) Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09, HC 521, if he will place in the Library a copy of Deloitte's report on its high level assessment of the maturity and effectiveness of VOA information security, redacted for security reasons as necessary.

Ian Pearson: The Deloitte report assesses the Valuation Office Agency's (VOA) security maturity and identifies the areas for improvement to enable full compliance with the Poynter review, with the HMG Security Policy Framework and Minimum Mandatory Measures and ISO 27001-the industry standard measure for information security compliance.
	The report has therefore been classified as restricted, and cannot be published. Redaction of material, which may aggravate security risks if published, would render the report meaningless.

Working Capital Scheme

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the monetary value of the agreements with banks signed under the Working Capital scheme is.

Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
	£2 billion of guarantees have been provided to banks under the Working Capital scheme to free up regulatory capital for new lending to UK companies. As a result of action by the Government and the regulatory authorities, leading to improvements in the capital position of the UK banking system since the introduction of the WCS, the Government have been able to allocate resource provision for the WCS to other measures to support businesses, including as announced at the Budget 2009 a trade credit insurance top up scheme and a possible new letters of credit scheme in the Export Credit Guarantee Department.

Working Capital Scheme

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which banks have signed up to the Working Capital scheme to date.

Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
	Guarantees have been provided to Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (RBS), National Westminster Bank PLC (NatWest), and Lloyds TSB Bank PLC and Lloyds TSB Scotland PLC (Lloyds Banking Group) under the Working Capital scheme to free up regulatory capital for new lending to UK companies. As a result of action by the Government and the regulatory authorities, leading to improvements in the capital position of the UK banking system since the introduction of the WCS, the Government have been able to allocate resource provision for the WCS to other measures to support businesses, including as announced at the Budget 2009 a trade credit insurance top up scheme and a possible new letters of credit scheme in the Export Credit Guarantee Department.

WALES

M4: Newport Gwent

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on the M4 relief road.

Peter Hain: I have regular meetings with the First Minister to discuss a range of issues relating to Wales, including transport matters.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Polly Toynbee

Eric Pickles: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what payments  (a) the Government Equalities Office and  (b) the Equality and Human Rights Commission have made to Ms Polly Toynbee; and for what purposes.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office and the Equality and Human Rights Commission have made no payments to Polly Toynbee.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Maintenance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in respect of how many child maintenance cases her Department has overridden payment schedules agreed in court in each of the last five years.

Helen Goodman: I have consulted with the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission who are now responsible for child maintenance. They have confirmed that the information requested is not available.

Children: Maintenance

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how long on average the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission takes to recalculate from the point of notification child maintenance liabilities for non-resident parents who return to work after a period of unemployment under the  (a) old and  (b) new scheme.

Helen Goodman: holding answer 14 September 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for South-West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous) on 14 July 2009,  Official Report, column 282W.

Housing Benefit

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much housing benefit has been paid to people born outside the UK in each year since 1994.

Helen Goodman: The information is not available.

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit: Hemsworth

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Hemsworth constituency have benefited from changes to industrial injuries disablement benefit since 1997.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information is not available at a constituency level.

Jobcentre Plus: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many job vacancies were notified to Chelmsford Jobcentre Plus in each of the last six months for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: holding answer 14 September 2009
	The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Notified and live unfilled vacancies in West Chelmsford in the last six months 
			  Date  West Chelmsford parliamentary constituency  Chelmsford local authority  Chelmsford Jobcentre Plus 
			  Live unfilled vacancies
			 February 2009 629 707 768 
			 March 2009 442 531 649 
			 April 2009 484 540 629 
			 May 2009 565 640 667 
			 June 2009 655 715 757 
			 July 2009 711 816 861 
			 
			  Notified vacancies
			 February 2009 1,019 1,132 1,208 
			 March 2009 548 643 740 
			 April 2009 652 724 772 
			 May 2009 738 854 891 
			 June 2009 762 868 951 
			 July 2009 735 903 967 
			  Notes: 1. Data are unrounded and will include overlaps between the areas provided for this answer. 2. Changes to Jobcentre Plus vacancy handling procedures have led to a major discontinuity in the vacancy statistics pre and post May 2006. Consequently, care should be taken in interpreting time-series data. 3. These are not whole economy figures. Coverage relates just to vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus and as such represent a market share of vacancies throughout the whole economy. This proportion varies overtime, according to the occupation of the vacancy and industry of the employer, and by local area. Comprehensive estimates of all job vacancies (not just those notified to Jobcentre Plus) are available from the monthly ONS Vacancy Survey since April 2001, based on a sample of some 6,000 enterprises. However, the ONS survey is currently designed to provide national estimates only. 4. Notified vacancies. Monthly data on the inflow of newly notified vacancies to Jobcentre Plus. 5. The stocks of live unfilled vacancies reflect more accurately job opportunities available via Jobcentre Plus. In the case of unfilled vacancies, use of the figures on live vacancies is recommended (i.e. excluding suspended vacancies), and this is the default option. Live vacancies may still include some vacancies which have already been filled or are otherwise no longer open. 6. To provide a geographic breakdown, in most cases the postcode of the vacancy is used to allocate the vacancy to a local area. Where this is missing or invalid, the employers' postcode or the postcode of the local Jobcentre Plus office is used. 7. These figures are published at: www.nomisweb.co.uk  Source: Jobcentre Plus Labour Market System

Jobseeker's Allowance: Young People

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged  (a) 16 and  (b) 17 years were in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: holding answer 14 September 2009
	The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of jobseeker's allowance claimants aged 16 and 17 in Great Britain in each of the last 10 years 
			  As at July each year:  Aged 16  Aged 17 
			 1999 2,465 11,720 
			 2000 2,195 11,230 
			 2001 2,035 10,060 
			 2002 2,030 10,040 
			 2003 2,100 10,575 
			 2004 1,975 9,460 
			 2005 1,725 10,260 
			 2006 1,740 10,195 
			 2007 1,020 7,695 
			 2008 770 6,030 
			 2009 825 7,030 
			  Notes: 1. Data is rounded to the nearest five. 2. Data is published at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk  Source: 100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems.

Minimum Wage: Young People

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment she has made of the merits of providing the adult national minimum wage rate to 18 year olds.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 14 September 2009
	I have been asked to reply.
	The effects of the NMW on younger workers need to be considered carefully to avoid damaging incentives between education and work and ensure the employment prospects of younger workers are not adversely affected.
	We know that young workers experience substantially worse unemployment and employment rates than adults. Both are more sensitive to the economic cycle. That is why the Low Pay Commission recommended a separate youth rate from the outset in 1999 and continues to believe there is a case for retaining them. Government and the LPC are concerned that removing the youth rates could adversely affect employment levels for this group. Earlier this year, the LPC recommended that 21-year-olds be entitled to the adult minimum wage. We have accepted this recommendation but, given the current economic conditions, stated that this change will be implemented from October 2010.

Pension Credit: Morecambe

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency were in receipt of pensions credit on the latest date for which figures are available.

Angela Eagle: As at November 2008, there were 5,240 households in receipt of pension credit in Morecambe and Lunesdale parliamentary constituency.
	 Notes
	1. The number of households in receipt are rounded to the nearest 10.
	2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.
	 Source
	DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.